Pingfang district in Harbin, capital of China's northernmost Heilongjiang province, officially launched its aviation industry development plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).
 
According to the plan, Pingfang district is expected to achieve an aviation industry output value of 100 billion yuan ($15 billion) by 2025.
 
An aviation industry layout system featuring one core, one belt, and one ring with multiple points will take shape.
 
One core refers to Heilongjiang's aviation manufacturing core area; one belt refers to the industrial belt along the Pingfang airport; and one ring with multiple points refers to an aviation industrial system around a ring.
 
In the future, Pingfang district will form a four-wheel-drive industrial development system using aviation engines, transmission systems, aeronautical materials, and operational services, with the coordinated development of helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to create a full industrial chain system.
 
Meanwhile, Pingfang district will focus on improving the Pingfang airport, creating a short-distance passenger and cargo transportation hub, building a general aviation airport economic zone, and expanding disaster relief services.
 
The plan also proposes focusing on the construction of a future aviation science city by strengthening the in-depth cooperation of industries, universities, and research institutes, fostering innovative carriers, improving the research and development of aviation enterprises, and enhancing the vitality of innovation.
 
By 2025, it strives to build more than 10 national-level innovation carriers such as enterprise technology centers, innovation centers, engineering technology centers, and key laboratories.
 
With a development history of around 70 years, Pingfang district is now the largest research and development base for helicopters and aviation engines in China.
 
By 2020, Pingfang was home to nearly 200 aviation-related companies, and its total output value that year exceeded 30 billion yuan. Among the 200 aviation companies, 29 are listed companies and have a total output of 24.9 billion yuan.