Northeast rust belt eyes new future in aviation sector as growth spur
Facing a tough time in its traditional industrial sectors, Northeast China’s rust belt has its eye on aerospace.
The three provinces in the region, previously known as China’s industrial base – Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang – have been focused on cultivating an aerospace industry and analysts said they are well-positioned for that.
“Northeast China not only has a long history of being an industrial base, it also has well-established aerospace and aircraft enterprises, such as Chang Guang Satellite Co, Shenyang Aerospace Xinguang Group, and AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Group,” said Huang Zhicheng, a professor at the Beijing Institute of System Engineering.
He added that universities and research institutions that specialize in the aerospace industry could also provide talent to empower the industry, namely outstanding institutions like the Harbin Institute of Technology and Shenyang Aerospace University.
Chinese private-sector rocket company, OneSpace, also agreed that the northeast region has developed an industrial base and has huge potential to develop the space industry.
Jing Junhai, the governor of Jilin, has prioritized the Jilin-1 satellite network project and said the province will strive to develop the satellite and aerospace industry in 2019, the Economic Information Daily reported on Monday.
The Jilin-1 constellation was developed in Jilin Province, and it is the country’s first self-developed remote sensing satellite for commercial use.
Another provincial project called Jinqu Space aims to deliver more than 35 high-performance small-scale launch vehicles every year once the first phase of the project is completed. It will also build capacity for the production of major aerospace components, according to the report.
Chang Guang Satellite Co in Jilin has been working on space-related technology since 2014. Lin Hongtao, the company’s marketing representative, told the Global Times on Monday that for the Jilin-1 project, 138 satellites are expected to be put into orbit by 2030. Twelve are already in service.
He added the company has enjoyed preferential policies provided by the local government including land and electricity supply. In the meantime, the company has been providing jobs and helped boost economic growth in the region.
Other provinces such as Sichuan and Hubei are also seeking to develop local aerospace industries to seize new opportunities in the industry.