China's first homegrown advanced civil aircraft engine unveiled at Zhuhai Airshow

The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) officially launched China's first self-developed advanced civil turboshaft engine AES100 during the ongoing 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai on Wednesday.

The AES100 engine is mainly employed in civil helicopters and has gained its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The take-off power of the turboshaft engine AES100 turboshaft engine is no less than 1,000kW, and it can be equipped with a 5-6 tonne twin-engine helicopter or a 3-tonne single-engine helicopter, according to its developer AECC.

The AECC said the engine has the advantages of high efficiency, low fuel consumption, long lifespan, high reliability, and meets the needs of a wide range of fields.

Featuring advanced design, technologies, and a management system, the AES100 engine can operate safely and steadily under complex conditions including freezing weather, heavy rain, and a strong electromagnetic environment. Helicopters powered by this engine can perform a variety of tasks, including patrol, rescue, sightseeing, as the engine is highly adaptable and can be used in diverse scenarios, said Li Gaiqi, chief designer of AES100.

Moreover, the ASE100 engine can be upgraded into turboprop engine, turbofan engine, and ground-based lightweight gas turbine to power small and medium-sized turboprop aircraft, jet business aircraft, and ground-based mobile power stations.

In addition to AES100, a total of 10 general aviation power products were also showcased by AECC at the launching event during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.

The highly-anticipated biennial aerospace trade event, also known as Airshow China, will run through Sunday. It has attracted 1,022 companies from 47 countries and regions to showcase their star aviation and aerospace products, including a record number of products being debuted to the public at the event.

China's first homegrown advanced civil aircraft engine unveiled at Zhuhai Airshow

A high-level dialogue between Chinese and African officials, researchers and students was held in Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday to discuss China-Africa cooperation in science, technology and cultural areas.

The event, called "China in Springtime: China's Development Opportunities for the World", focused on the outcomes of China's "two sessions," which approved China's 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030 that maps out the country's high-quality path toward modernization, and explored opportunities for cooperation between China and the African countries.

Hosted by China Media Group (CMG), event participants discussed China's development priorities and their global implications for the next five year period.

Many agreed that China's development presents an opportunity for the world, and China's stability will inject more certainty into the international community, adding that the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges provides a new opportunity for deepening exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa.

Many participants said that China and African countries should jointly promote the building of an even closer China-Africa community with a shared future through more open and inclusive dialogue and cooperation.

At the event, several guests from South African academic, business, and educational circles discussed themed topics such as "Technology Empowering Modernization: New Momentum for China-Africa Innovation Cooperation" and "Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and Global Communication: New Frontiers for China-Africa Media Cooperation".

The event also featured screenings of several CMG productions, including a cultural program introducing China's ancient and modern technologies and the thrilling robotic martial arts performance from CMG's 2026 Spring Festival Gala.

Global dialogue event in Cape Town discusses China-Africa cooperation in science, technology, culture