Domestic helicopter firms seek support

The Chinese government urgently needs to establish a coordination and communication mechanism between the helicopter industry and other sectors to protect the growth of the domestic helicopter industry, an expert said.

China needs to realize the irreplaceable function of helicopters, said Wu Ximing, deputy director of the science and technology committee at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and chief designer of Avicopter Co Ltd.

"The domestic helicopter sector is relatively small, and if there are no protections, foreign investments will pour in and the domestic helicopter industry will struggle to survive and grow," Wu, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said on the sidelines of the ongoing two sessions.