It's our next goal to develop the group into a highly recognized international giant -- Tan Weidong, Chairman of Board of China National Guizhou Aviation Industry (Group) Co.

　　China National Guizhou Aviation Industry (Group) Co. Ltd. originally started as an aviation base for development and production, initiated in 1964 by China's former Premier Zhou Enlai. Situated in a mountainous area, the base formerly specialized in manufacturing fighter trainer aircraft and aircraft engines as an important constituent of major construction projects at the strategic rear base. This can be considered as the group's first step on the thorny path of development.

　　At that time, thousands of young people devoted their youth to the construction of the group. Among them was Tan Weidong, who 40 years later became chairman of board, leading 46 subsidiary enterprises and institutions. Staffed with a total of 51,000 employees, the group has over the years become a large state-owned enterprise integrating production of both military and civilian products. On the sidelines of the 2006-07 China Automotive Summit Forum, recently held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province of southwest China, Tan shared with Beijing Review his experience of innovating.

　　The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) underscored enhancing the capacity of independent innovation as the core of the national development strategy. As an independently developed backbone enterprise of the country, how is your group making headways toward innovation?

　　China began to develop its aviation industry by drawing on advanced foreign technologies and then switched its focus to independent innovation. So did our group.

　　In 1964, we witnessed the ground-breaking construction of the Guizhou aviation base at the order of the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao Zedong. Since then, the thought of taking advantage of overseas technologies to develop homegrown airplanes with independent intellectual property rights has been hammered into our minds. In 1970, the group came into being, marked by the successful trial flight of our first self-developed airplane, meeting Premier Zhou's instruction of completing the base by 1970.

　　Since then, we have never faltered on the path toward independent innovation. In 1985, the birth of the F-7 advanced trainers brought an end to the country's history of having no advanced trainer aircraft to call its own. In 1987, three Chinese airplanes including the F-7 advanced trainer found their way to the 37th Paris Air Show. They were even dubbed as Asian stars by the French press. Three years later, the group rolled out the F-7P, approaching a level in quality equaling the world's best. It took an amazingly minimal amount of time-19 months from the approval of the program, through designing and mapping to manufacturing parts, coordination and trial flight. This feat set a new record in the country's history of developing a new airplane.

　　Since the entry into the new century, the group has further pursued independent innovation. We came up with Shanying advanced trainers and unmanned airplanes in 2003, and promoted them as the leading brand in this line of products. At the same time the development of military airplanes was pushed forward, civil aviation was not left behind. To meet the pressing demands for small and medium-sized airplanes arising from a swelling market, the Guizhou Provincial Government established a leading group to develop the 30-seated ARJ-60 branch airplanes. It was a substantial support for us to put the airplane into production in collaboration with overseas enterprises as soon as possible on the prerequisite of preserving the intellectual property rights.

　　Aircraft engines are another major product of us. Our engines have advanced to the height of foreign countries in design and technology through years of research. China has become the fifth leading high-quality aircraft engine manufacturer in the world after the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Russia.

　　How is your group crafting your strategy of developing, researching and manufacturing civilian products to keep pace with the times?

　　In the 1980s we saw a wave of reform and opening-up sweep the country. Sizing upon the situation, we resolutely turned toward the strategy of transforming military production into civilian production and turning domestic sales into exports. Heavy investments were injected in civilian products such as automobiles and auto parts. Through the 20 years of technical innovation between the seventh to the 10th Five-Year Plan period, the Guizhou Guihang Automotive Components Co. Ltd., once a subsidiary of the group, has been turned into a vanguard player in this aspect and endowed itself with a complete capability in research and manufacturing auto parts. Its products cover almost all types of automobiles and are playing a dominant role in the domestic market.

　　For a long time, China has been weak in the production of auto parts with independent intellectual property rights. Duplicating foreign technologies was our only choice in manufacturing. However, the history has been rewritten. Our unremitting efforts have enabled us to develop a variety of products of our own. For example, due to unique technology and reliable quality, our automobile seal strips have jumped to the top spot among domestic counterparts in terms of variety, output, sales volume and market coverage rate. Relevant authorities even stipulate that only automobiles equipped with our seal strips be allowed to be exported. Besides, a great number of our products, such as wiper blades, aluminum radiators and electrical switches, are competitively priced and favored by international purchasers. Our products are going global one after another. The radiators have realized a global presence and electrical switches have also made a foray into the market of North America as a regular supplier of General Motors. The European market is our next target. In another move, we have won a letter of intent from Pakistan to purchase 1,000 sets of our Skylark sedans, which are now going into mass production.

　　As a pioneer in the aviation industry at the strategic rear base in Guizhou, how are you leading the group in carrying forward the enterprising spirit?

　　In the 1960s, thousands of professionals and skilled workers gathered at the mountains of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to start the aviation industry, a pioneering cause that cost them their sweat, blood and youth. They slept in the dew and ate in the wind. We treasure their unyielding efforts. Imbued with this spirit, we would by no means bow under the pressure of any difficulty.

　　In December 2006, all high- and middle-level managers were mobilized to resume the Long March in a bid to sustain the spirit in the young generation. We trekked along the route of the Long March for over 120 km in four days, following the footsteps of the Red Army. It was a rich spiritual event for us to receive a baptism of traditional virtues. We will continue to refine our staff with the Long March spirit and pass the torch to younger generations.

　　What is your next goal for further development?

　　First, we are planning to smooth the path of systemization and modularity for the manufacturing of airplanes and automobiles. The most advanced methods in the world will be employed to boost our production capacity and level of informatization. Second, we will integrate our resources and raise more funds through the capital market to propel our capability of research and development. We are endeavoring to enlist 800 million yuan ($108 million) to feed our technical research. Additional stock releases and capital restructuring will also add to the strength of our two listed companies. Third, our vision will be further broadened beyond the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. We are eyeing the international market while making gains in the domestic market. It's our next goal to develop the group into a highly recognized international giant.