Xi'an - The first cooperative commercial aircraft project between China and Russia will be built in Xixian New Area in Shaanxi province, China Daily learned on Monday.

The project agreement was signed on Friday in Moscow by representatives from Xixian New Area and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, as well as three other Chinese and Russian companies. The project's Asia-Pacific headquarters will be set in the Sino-Russian Silk Road High-Tech Industrial Park in Xi'an New Area, a national urban development area between Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, and Xianyang, a neighboring city.

Called the Sino-Russian Sukhoi Commercial Aircraft, plans are to build a Russian commercial aircraft operation and maintenance center in the area, which means that for the first time Russian commercial aircraft will enter the Chinese aviation market, said Wang Jun, executive deputy director of the Xixian New Area administrative committee.

According to the agreement, the two sides will jointly carry out the leasing of the Sukhoi commercial aircraft and distribute the Sukhoi Superjet (SSJ-100) in China.

The memorandum of cooperation for the Sino-Russian Silk Road High-Tech Industrial Park was signed on Oct 13, 2014 and witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The first phase of the park, which covers an area of 4 square km, is under construction, Wang said.