Brazilian aeronautical company Embraer, which since 2002 has had a joint venture to manufacture aircraft with China's AVIC II in Harbin, northern China, has said it plans to increase its investment in the country.

"We are investing in our post-sales team. We started off by expanding our warehouse in Beijing airport, from 750 square meters to 2,000 square meters and we also increased our warehouse team from four to 11 people," the chairman of Embraer China, Guan Dongyuan told the press in Beijing.

The investment in China also includes increasing the stock of spare parts in China, Guan said, calculating that by 2010 stocks of spare parts in China would be worth US$300 million.

"The market needs our 120-seater regional aircraft," he said noting that sales should increase proportional to the growth in number of airports in China.

By 2010 China plans to build 43 new civilian airports increasing the total from 147 to 156.

China accounts for 15 percent of Embraer's total turnover, making it the company's third largest market, after the United States and the European Union.

The Chinese-Brazilian partnership ahs already manufactured and delivered 20 aircraft in China and has a a portfolio of orders for 46 airplanes.

The Embraer official said that, "in the 100-seater segment, Embraer has firm orders for 50 Embraer 190 aircraft from the HNA group, of Hainan, the first of which will be delivered in 2008."

Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutic), a company founded in 1969, manufactures commercial jets with up to 120 seats and is one of Brazil's biggest exporters.

Based in Sao Jose dos Campos, in the state of Sao Paulo, the company has offices, industrial units and servicing workshops in Brazil, the United States, France, Portugal, China and Singapore.