China, the fastest growing aviation market in the world, has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with European aircraft maker Airbus on importing a general assembly line, the Economic Information Daily reported on Tuesday.

The memo, signed by China's National Development and Reform Commission and Airbus, talked about a feasibility study on building a general assembly line for Airbus single-aisle planes in China.

This will be the highest-level cooperation between China and Airbus in the history of Chinese aviation industry, the report said.

China and France signed on Monday 16 cooperation agreements concerning various sectors during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's ongoing visit to France.

The biggest deal was a framework agreement on the Chinese purchase of 150 aircraft from Airbus's A320 family of single-aisle planes, signed by Airbus' chief executive, Gustav Humbert and and Li Hai, president of the China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group.

Airbus is seeking to topple US rival Boeing's dominance of the Chinese civil aviation sector by clawing its way up to a 50 percent market share.

Boeing last month notched up firm orders for 70 of its mid-range planes, the 737s, and options for another 80 during a visit to China by US President George W. Bush.

China said it would be buying between 1,800 and 2,700 planes from the two companies, which are the world's leading commercial airline manufacturers, over the next two decades.

Source: Xinhua