BEIJING - The China office of US aircraft manufacturer Boeing said Monday that an expansion of its China venture in north China's port city of Tianjin will be operational in 2013.

The $21-million project will double the size of Boeing Tianjin Composites Co Ltd, a joint venture between Boeing and the China Aviation Industry Corp which produces components and parts for the Boeing 737, 747, 767, 777 and the 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The expansion will increase the venture's composite material production capacity by 60 percent by 2013 and add an extra 300 jobs, bringing the venture's total employment to more than 1,000.

"It is win-win cooperation. Our Chinese partner will provide high quality components to increase Boeing's capacity, which in turn boosts our employment in China," said Ray Conner, vice president and general manager of Supply Chain Management and Operations for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Boeing purchases more than $200 million worth of products and services every year from China, making it the country's largest buyer of aircraft subassemblies. The company is expected to purchase twice as much by 2015.

Boeing and its related businesses have created about 20,000 jobs in China to date, including 6,000 employees working directly for Boeing, its subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Source: Xinhua