Beijing, Jan 27 (People's Daily Online) — China and the Netherlands should work together to make the aircraft industry of the future fit the aviation industry of the future: safe, innovative and sustainable, said Henk Kamp, Dutch minister of economic affairs, at the Sino-Dutch aerospace seminar in Beijing on Tuesday.

Kamp points out that the technological-leap represents a major R&D-challenge to businesses, educators and the Chinese government. "The Netherlands would like to partner with China in tackling these challenges. We have a lot to offer in the field of aircraft-manufacture and services," he says.

According to Kamp, the Netherlands has over 100 specialized companies and institutes involved in every aspect of the development, production and operation of aircraft, as well as training and education.

"China's clear and ambitious goals for its growing aviation-industry are an excellent match with the Dutch aerospace industry's dedication to innovation", says Kamp.

The increasing demand for internal flights in China has contributed much to the tremendous rise of worldwide air traffic.

According to Li Benjian, an official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Chinese economy is now in a period of transition, and the Chinese government has decided to position the aerospace industry as an important strategic emerging industry.

China is working on its own fleets to compete on the international aviation market. The recent certification of China's first homegrown airliner, the Comac ARJ21, is a major milestone.

Li Benjian said that in 2014, the overall annual transportation of passengers has increased 18 percent from the previous year. Now, about 200 companies are dedicated to aerospace and general aviation industry.

The Chinese government has also planned to build the aerospace-industry and infrastructure of the future over the next few years. "We hope to build airports at the municipal level by 2020, and establish the network at the county level by 2030," says Li Benjian.