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Coronavirus pandemic
ChinaMilitary

Coronavirus: China calls off top international air show

  • Airshow China was due to be held in November but has been postponed until further notice
  • Organisers say decision taken because the pandemic continues to develop rapidly

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Airshow China has been cancelled until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: AP
Keegan Elmer
China has cancelled its biggest air show for this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Airshow China – held every two years in the southern city of Zhuhai – is a chance for some of the world’s largest arms manufacturers to showcase their top military hardware, but has been called off because the “global situation of the Covid-19 pandemic is still developing rapidly”, organisers said on Tuesday.

The six-day air show, formally known as the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, was expected to start on November 10 but was postponed until further notice after “careful consideration regarding the health of our guests and exhibitors”.

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The show has traditionally featured Chinese and Russian military technology but also attracts participants from other parts of the world. American aerospace giant Boeing confirmed its participation in July.

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China's arms industry showcases latest weapons at Zhuhai air show

China's arms industry showcases latest weapons at Zhuhai air show

It was last held in November 2018, attracting 770 exhibitors from 48 countries, according to the organisers. Among the hardware on display were China’s J-20 and J-10C fighters and its CH-5 combat drone. Russia and China also presented a model of a CR929 passenger aircraft, a jointly developed alternative to the Boeing 787.

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