Chinese titanium firms seek aerospace foothold beyond home market

Aviation analyst John Strickland said the strong Chinese presence at Farnborough — one of the world's largest aerospace events — highlighted a renewed push to expand in Western markets.

“They're making contacts. They're networking. They're explaining their product. They're showcasing their product,” he said.

Chinese aerospace and defence firms had a broad presence across the air show, led by COMAC, which is trying to challenge Boeing and Airbus in commercial aviation but remains reliant on foreign suppliers for key technologies, including jet engines.

Strickland said he expects COMAC and Chinese aerospace suppliers to play a growing role globally, though they will need to build the support ecosystem that underpins Boeing and Airbus's success, including maintenance and repair networks, spare-parts distribution, engineering support and aircraft leasing services.