Airbus may land plant in China

Airbus will consider assembling A320 jetliners in the Binhai New District of Tianjin, in northeastern China, according to a statement from the aircraft maker and China's National Development and Reform Commission. The company aims to make a decision by September after studying the factory's feasibility. If the proposed assembly plant goes ahead, it would be Airbus's first outside Europe. Airbus opened an engineering center near Beijing last July and already buys a small number of aircraft doors, wing components, cockpit floors and other parts from Chinese companies. In December, it said it aims to quadruple purchases in China to $120 million by 2010.