North China's Tianjin Municipality has become a major production base for European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. 2024 marks the 15th anniversary of the first A320 family aircraft delivered by the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center, with the total number of deliveries amounting to 763 as of the end of May.
General Manager of the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center Christoph Schrempp has witnessed the rapid expansion of Airbus' business in Tianjin.
"Indeed, I was a lucky man as I had an opportunity in June 2013 already to make a kind of look-and-see trip to Tianjin and to China. So, that was at that point in time definitely my first contact with Tianjin. It left a quite positive impression and I was very much also impressed by the modern city I found there in Tianjin," said Schrempp.
In September 2008, Airbus' A320 Family Final Assembly Line Asia in Tianjin (FALA Tianjin) was officially put into operation, which is the first civil aircraft final assembly line set up by the company outside Europe. Nine months later, the first A320 family aircraft assembled in Tianjin rolled off the production line and was delivered to its customer.
In September 2017, Schrempp and his team successfully delivered the A330 aircraft to Tianjin Airlines, marking a new milestone for Airbus Tianjin.
In 2021, Airbus and its Chinese partners signed an agreement on expanding and upgrading the production capacity of the FALA Tianjin, enabling the current A320 family assembly facilities to produce A321 aircraft, and in March 2023, the first A321 aircraft was delivered.
Schrempp said he is confident that Airbus' China operation will continue to expand given the fast growth of its business in Tianjin.
"We're going to use to partially replace all the aircraft by the more economical and most advanced A321 family aircraft, for example, but also to grow in terms of having new routes operated. We are also developed our customer base," said Schrempp.
The FALA Tianjin has now become one of Airbus' most important production lines globally, and the company is about to complete the construction of its second production line in Tianjin, further enhancing the assembly capabilities for A320 aircraft.
China's Tianjin becomes major production base for Airbus
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
