Boeing's first overseas factory to be built in China's Zhoushan

A Boeing 737 MAX sits outside the hangar during a media tour of the Boeing 737 MAX at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington in this December 8, 2015 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

HANGZHOU - Boeing and Chinese aviation manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC) will start to build a Boeing 737 completion center in eastern China's Zhoushan city at the end of March, scheduled to make its first delivery in 2018.

This is Boeing's first overseas facility as part of its 737 production system, and designed to deliver 100 Boeing 737 planes a year.

In the joint-venture completion center, Boeing's 737 aircraft will be installed with flight entertainment systems and seats. The plant in Zhoushan, 287 km southeast of Shanghai, also provides services such as coating, repair and maintenance of Boeing aircraft.

Boeing and COMAC signed an agreement in October 2016 to set up the Zhoushan plant, which will consist of two parts: the 737 completion center, a joint venture of Boeing and COMAC, and the 737 delivery center owned by Boeing.

Construction of the delivery center will also start at the end of March.

To accommodate aircraft manufacturing in Zhoushan, Putuoshan Airport in the city is undergoing a 750 million yuan ($108 million) expansion to become an international airport.

In addition to supporting Boeing, the aviation base in Zhoushan will also develop an entire industrial chain for aircraft manufacturing, with the capacity of assembling, delivering and modifying 600 aircraft a year by 2025.

Zhoushan is an archipelago and island city in Zhejiang province, which has the largest fishery in China and boasts strong shipbuilding, tourism and service industries.