Tue, Jul 19, 2011
'100% Communist' Ownership Of Manufacturer Called Out By
Washington Times
The purchase by Cirrus Aircraft by CAIGA, China Aviation
Industry General Aircraft Co. Ltd., has not gone unnoticed by the
general news media. The Washington Times, which often takes
editorial positions which often pose counterpoints to the more
liberal and better-known Washington Post, highlighted the new
Chinese ownership of Cirrus in reporting a purchase by the US Air
Force of a customized version of the SR20 to be the service's
newest trainer.
USAF SR20 Cirrus Photo
As ANN reported July 7, the Air Force Academy will receive 25
SR20 aircraft - designated as T-53A trainers in the customized
configuration - starting this summer and continuing through 2012,
in a deal reported to be worth $6.1 million.
The Times reports as a "problem" that the aircraft maker's
parent company is 100 percent owned by the Chinese communist
government. Except for a brief challenge by Minnesota Republican
Representative Chip Cravaak, who warned the US Treasury Department
in March that the sale could compromise national security, the
China angle was largely passed over in reporting of the deal.
But the Times notes the same was not true in China: "The Chinese
Communist Party mouthpiece newspaper Peoples Daily last
Tuesday called the transaction 'revolutionary' because it marked
the first time the US Air Force ordered an entire set of aircraft
from China for military training equipment."
USAF SR20 Cirrus Photo
In what may come as unwelcome news to economic development
officials in Duluth, the Times also found a report in the
government-controlled English newspaper China Daily which said,
"the acquisition of Cirrus will be an important step for [CAIGA's]
global expansion plan, which aims to set up R&D, sales and
service centers in China, the U.S. and Europe. The company
currently has its manufacturing base in Zhuhai, Guangdong
province."
Given the credit facilities and other resources the Chinese
government is putting behind its state-owned companies to buy US
aviation manufacturing assets at their current depressed prices,
these stories may not be front-page news much longer.
More News
Airbus Racer Demonstrator Makes Inaugural Flight Airbus Helicopters' ambitious Racer demonstrator has achieved its inaugural flight as part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative, a corners>[...]
A little Bit Quieter, Said Testers, But in the End it's Still a DA40 Diamond Aircraft recently completed a little pilot project with Lufthansa Aviation Training, putting a pair of >[...]
Line Up And Wait (LUAW) Used by ATC to inform a pilot to taxi onto the departure runway to line up and wait. It is not authorization for takeoff. It is used when takeoff clearance >[...]
Contributing To The Accident Was The Pilot’s Use Of Methamphetamine... Analysis: The pilot departed on a local flight to perform low-altitude maneuvers in a nearby desert val>[...]
From 2015 (YouTube Version): Overcoming Obstacles To Achieve Their Dreams… At EAA AirVenture 2015, FedEx arrived with one of their Airbus freight-hauling aircraft and placed>[...]
Airbus Racer Helicopter Demonstrator First Flight Part of Clean Sky 2 Initiative
See All