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China signed a general terms agreement with French Airbus in Beijing on Apr.25 for an order of 30 Airbus aircraft, which will be delivered during the period from 2004 to 2006.

Under the agreement, the 30 aircraft, including four A330s, 16 A319s and 10 A320s, will be operated by major Chinese airlines including China Southern Airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines Co. Ltd, Hainan Airlines and Sichuan Airlines.

Notably, the A330, the most efficient aircraft in its class with the lowest operating costs, will be operated by an airline from the Chinese mainland for the first time.

Airbus President and CEO Noel Forgeard and President of the China Aviation Supplies Import & Export Group Corporation (CASGC) Li Hai signed the agreement on Apr.25 in Beijing, and the signing ceremony was attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

China initiated business with Airbus in 1985, and the total Airbus fleet in service on the Chinese mainland, in Hong Kong and in Macao has grown to nearly 190.

Airbus has also invested 80 million US dollars to set up a customer services training and support center in Beijing.

Forgeard said in Beijing that China is a bright spot in the global market and that it will become the world's largest aviation market, following the United States, in the next 20 years. Airbus attaches great importance to this strategic market.

Forgeard also expressed his hope that cooperation with China's aviation industry will be further strengthened.