At a joint press conference held by Eurocopter and China Aviation Industry Corporation II in Zhuhai, the Chinese company's general manager Zhong Hongbiao said the Z 15 or EC 175 program was equally funded by Harbin Aviation Industry Group, an affiliate of the corporation, and Eurocopter based on the principle of "sharing risk, investment, research and development, returns and market."

The program is a breakthrough for China, which participated in the helicopter's design from the very beginning in conjunction with Eurocopter, instead of importing production lines as it did before, said Zhang.

The two companies will jointly design, develop and manufacture the six-ton helicopter with two separate production lines in France and China, he noted.

Norbert Ducrot, vice president of Eurocopter, said it was the first time that his company has sealed cooperation with a Chinese company in developing new aircraft.

A design team, composed of French and Chinese engineers, was now working in France, said Ducrot, adding that the new helicopter will be put into production after obtaining aircraft certification in Europe in 2011 and in China in 2012.

The helicopter, designed for short-distance transportation, coastal patrol and search and rescue, fills the gap between five-ton Dauphin and 10-ton Super Puma and will have great market prospects, said Ducrot, who expects the global sales to reach 800 by 2032, including 400 in China.

The Z 15 or EC 175 program was launched in December, 2005 when Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao paid a visit to France.

Harbin Aviation Industry Group has seen fruitful cooperation with Eurocopter since early 1980s when the company began to produce Z 9 and Z 8 helicopters, after purchasing from Eurocopter the production patents on Dauphin and Super Frelon.

China also produces light helicopter EC 120 in cooperation with Europe and Singapore, and has sold 400 such helicopters worldwide.

Eurocopter, an affiliate with European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), is the world's leading helicopter manufacturer. It sold 401 helicopters in 2005.

Eurocopter is China's largest foreign partner in manufacturing helicopters and grabs 50 percent of the country's civil helicopter market.

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