New Zealand starts delivery in 53-aircraft China deals

New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser on Wednesday welcomed the delivery of the first two of 53 aircraft, valued at 120 million NZ dollars (94.08 million U.S. dollars), from a New Zealand manufacturer to Chinese firms.

The delivery of aircraft took place at China's Zhuhai Air Show, where Pacific Aerospace CEO Damian Camp officially signed a joint venture agreement with Beijing General Aviation Company to build the New Zealand-designed P750-XSTOL aircraft in China.

The single-prop P750 is capable of extremely short take-off and landing on a strip less than 244 meters long, according to the company's website.

"Relationships like this demonstrate that we don't just export dairy and lamb to China, but also our technology," Groser, who witnessed the delivery, said in a statement from his office.

"It's fantastic to see these relationships continue to develop and grow, reflecting the New Zealand and China agreement more broadly, particularly since we signed the FTA (free trade agreement) in 2008."

Groser said the deals were a significant contribution towards the companies' joint vision of developing the China-New Zealand Aviation Industrial Park.