It is reported that Baosteel Group, Aluminum Corporation of China and Aviation Industry Corporation of China signed strategic agreements on January 10th 2009 with Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd, the undertaker of China's "Big Aircraft" project to strength their cooperation. As big shareholders of CACC, the 3 companies become main suppliers and cooperators of the latter according to the agreements.

Mr Wu Guanghui vice manager of CACC said that the company would take strategic cooperation with the 3 partners like in material supply "We encourage innovations in the 'big aircraft' project, hoping breakthroughs in domestic material supply. He said that oversea suppliers still have opportunities despite the above parts with domestic firms. CACC lately held a proseminar for choosing foreign suppliers. And the choosing works will start this year.

Baosteel and Chinalco are both accelerating material developments for China's big aircraft project.

Baosteel has successfully developed the 300M ultra-high strength steel for big aircraft undercarriages and 4 grades of titanium alloy structural steel. The development of specialized steel for engines has been carried out in full swing. Southwest Aluminum Co Ltd under Chinalco has invested about CNY 2 billion in building aluminum alloy plate production line to produce airfoil, tail fin and panel in batch for the project.

(Source: http://dycj.ynet.com)