Beijing (AFP) - China officially launched a new multi-billion dollar jet engine conglomerate¹ with almost 100,000 employees at the weekend, as Beijing seeks to become an aerospace² power and compete with the likes of Rolls Royce and General Electric.

北京（法新社） 中国官方在周末发起具有近十万员工的一个新数十亿美元的航天发动机集团，北京力图成为一支航天力量并且与像劳斯莱斯和通用电气竞争。

The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) has registered capital of 50 billion yuan ($7.5 billion), and previous reports said it would incorporate subsidiaries of a series of state-owned firms, including the Aviation Industrial Corp. of China (AVIC).

中国航天发动机集团已经注册了500亿元（约合75亿美元）资本金，而以前的报道中说该公司由一系列的国有企业子公司组成，包括中国航天工业集团(AVIC)。

President Xi Jinping said founding the company was a "strategic move" to make China an aviation power and modernise³ the military, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

习近平主席说创立该公司是一个“战略举措”，它使中国的航天更有力量并且使军队现代化，官方新华社通讯社报道。

China does not make large commercial jet engines of its own and the country's narrow-body airliner⁴, the C919, is powered by engines from CFM International, a venture between GE of the United States and France's Safran.

中国不能制造它自己的大型商用喷气式发动机，而国家的窄体客机C919，该飞机的驱动是由来自CFM国际公司的发动机，这家公司由美国的GE和法国的赛峰合资的企业。

The best aircraft in China's air force use engines built in Russia, Xinhua said.

新华社说，在中国空军中最好的飞机使用的发动机是俄罗斯制造的。

Beijing is looking to change that with the creation of a new national champion in the field as it seeks the prestige of having its own aviation sector⁵.

北京正指望改变这一现状，通过在这一领域创造一个新全国冠军，它寻求它自己航空部门声望。

Leaders have targeted the manufacture of high-technology products such as jet engines as a means to transform the world's second largest economy and make its firms more competitive with advanced foreign rivals in aerospace, biotechnology, alternative energy and other sectors⁶.

领导人已经把例如喷气式发动机的高技术产品制造业作为目标，因为对于改变世界第二大经济体有重要的作用，并且使得它的公司与在航天空间、生物技术、新能源和其他领域的外国先进的对手更具竞争性。

Premier⁷ Li Keqiang said in written comments that making "breakthroughs" in advanced aircraft engines would have great value in strengthening the military and manufacturing ability of the country.

总理Li Keqiang在书面意见中表示，在先进航空发动机中制造“突破”将在强化该国的军事和制造业的能力具有重要的价值。

Xinhua cited him urging indigenous⁸ innovation to make AECC a world leader in aero-engines.

新华社引述他的话敦促自主创新，使得中国航空发动机集团成为在航天发动机领域的世界领导者。

The new firm will employ 96,000 employees and be headquartered in the capital, reports said, with China's State Council, or cabinet, and the Beijing city government also investing in it.

这家新公司将会雇佣96000雇员并且在首都设立总部，报道称，中国国务院、政府其他部门、北京市政府也在该公司有投资。

But industry executives say it could take years for the firm to develop the engines to power big commercial jets.

但是业内主管说，该公司很可能需要花费数年时间去开发出为大型商用喷气机驱动的发动机。

Earlier this summer China's homegrown regional jet the ARJ21, made by AECC investor⁹ the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC), made its first commercial flight after years of delays, though its quality and reliability¹⁰ still have to be established to win over customer and passenger confidence.

今年夏天早些时候，中国国产的支线飞机ARJ21，它由中国航天发动机集团的投资者中国商用飞机集团制造，在数年延期后开始它第一次商用飞行，虽然它的质量和可靠性依然需要建立从而去赢得顾客和旅客的信任。