China currently has 142 airports operating civilian flights. It is predicted that China's entry into WTO will see a general increase in trade flows in and out of China, and the importance of this freight market will increase. Lufthansa already has joint ventures at Shanghai Pudong Airport. Airports such as Shenzhen, which also has high trade flows, are actively looking for freight partners. In 2000, there was a total of 1.7m aircraft landings and departures at airports in China, an increase of 6 per cent over 1999.
China remains a state planned economy.
Some relaxation of central control over municipal infrastructure projects in the mid-1990s resulted in projects being started without adequate funding. Without SDPC approval, projects cannot go ahead. Although the SDPC is influential in the process of approval, the support of the CAAC is also crucial. The planning, science and technology department of the CAAC is responsible for drawing up development programmes, and working on annual development plans for air routes. The airport department of the CAAC is responsible for drawing up regulations on airport construction, operational safety, and the examination and approval of new airports.