国内英语新闻:Xi calls for careful preparation for C919 maiden flight

BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- On the occasion of China unveiling its first domestically-produced large passenger aircraft C919 on Monday, President Xi Jinping extended his congratulations to all those involved and underscored safety as the aircraft enters the testing phase.

In a written instruction, Xi said that safety and quality should be the top priority during preparations for the jet's maiden flight, which is scheduled for next year.

The team should strive to boost China's equipment manufacturing capability, Xi added.

Premier Li Keqiang also issued an instruction on Monday encouraging the civil aircraft industry to work harder to strengthen China's capacity in high-end equipment manufacturing and make it a real manufacturing power.

Vice premier Ma Kai attended the plane's unveiling ceremony in Shanghai and delivered a speech.

The C919 plane was developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) and, when it is cleared for commercial use, is expected to compete with the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new-generation 737.

The plane has 158 seats and a standard range of 4,075 kilometers. COMAC said it had received 517 orders from 21 foreign and domestic customers.