Xinhua posted a news article published by the China Youth Daily on September 22 about China’s ambition to develop big airplanes. The article quoted China Aviation Industry Corporation (CAIC) General Manager Zuo Fengmin’s words as motivation: “When the United States bombed our embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, the victims’ bodies were transported back home by a big airplane made in the U.S. It was a huge humiliation for our country’s aviation industry.” The article concluded that if China is to realize industrial advancement and high national stature, improving the aviation industry is a task that must be accomplished; and 2008 is a pivotal year for China’s home-made big airplane to be ready to take off.
Source: Xinhua, September 22, 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2008-09/22/content_10090910.htm