The first EASA-CAAC Safety Conference was held in Shanghai on April 27. Leaders from civil aviation departments and the aviation industry in China and the EU had a broad and in-depth exchange of views on issues in respect of deepening EU-China civil aviation cooperation and promoting EU-China aviation safety development.

CAAC Administrator Feng Zhenglin said that, the EASA-CAAC Safety Conference is an important platform for the civil aviation industry from China and the EU to communicate and cooperate with each other. EU-China civil aviation cooperation has reached substantial results. For now, China has signed bilateral transportation agreement with 27 out of 28 EU countries. There are 15 EU countries having launched nonstop routes to China and there are over 600 flights weekly flying between China and the EU. The passenger traffic between China and the EU in 2016 reached 8 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 15%. As at the end of 2016, China civil aviation industry has a total of more than 1400 Airbus aircraft, which totaled nearly half of China's civil aviation aircraft. Airbus final assembly line in Tianjin is a typical example for EU-China civil aviation cooperation. Moreover, Airbus A330 delivery and completion center will be the first delivery and completion center for wide-body jets outside Europe.

Mr Feng said that, China and the EU should further deepen cooperation on the following five aspects: innovation on safety regulation, extension on bilateral airworthiness, elevation of supporting ability for air traffic control, promotion of general aviation industry's development and cooperation on education and training.

CAAC Chief Engineer Yin Shijun said that, promoting EU-China civil aviation cooperation will improve trust between China and the EU and facilitate communication on aviation products. Elevation on aviation safety will improve air transport's development. Airworthiness cooperation agreement will increase aircraft's certification efficiency and release the domestic industry's burden. Information communication and exchange over aviation products' design and manufacture, continued airworthiness, operation should be strengthened.

Mr Yin said that, China currently has approximately 1400 transport aircraft and 650 general-purpose aircraft that are produced in Europe. European aircraft projects that are manufactured in China now include Airbus final assembly line in Tianjin and Diamond DA40 in Binzhou Shandong. Additionally, Diamond DA42 project in Wuhu Anhui and Tecnam project in Shenyang are being reviewed now and will soon be put into operation.