The ambitious target points to rising confidence among officials and the government-funded aircraft industry following apparent success in developing China's first commercial jet aircraft, the mid-size ARJ-21 regional jet, the first of which is due to fly next year.

With China's demand for new aircraft expected to hit 2,230 planes by 2025, the government has fast-tracked development plans to ensure that its own companies grab a share.

The large aircraft project is underpinned by China's strong economic growth, technology advances, and brawny manufacturing base, Liu Daxiang, of China Aviation Industry Corporation I, or AVIC I, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

"We are now fairly well conditioned for making large aircraft," said Liu, deputy head of the company's science and technology development department, and a delegate to the national legislature meeting this month in Beijing.

Liu said a large aircraft program would spawn new technological advances and secondary industries. He gave no precise details about the size of the plane, although large aircraft are generally considered to have about 200 seats and a payload of 100 tons.

China has set a target of completing designs for a large aircraft by 2010. China has also proposed producing its own aircraft engines.

Underscoring the national prestige China attracts to such projects, Liu said large aircraft development would "inspire the nation" similar to the hugely successful manned space program.

China abandoned a project to build large aircraft in the 1970s, but in recent years has become a major supplier of parts for Chicago-based Boeing Co.

Brazil's Embraer SA in 2004 became the first foreign aircraft maker to set up a Chinese factory and Airbus last year signed agreements to open a final assembly line in China for its mid-size A320 aircraft.

The 70-110 seat ARJ-21, or Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century, is expected to begin flight tests next spring, but has already received more than 70 orders from Chinese airlines, according to Xinhua. AVIC I is building the plane in the northern city of Xi'an in partnership with 19 foreign parts suppliers.