China to invest $11.9 billion in aviation infrastructure in 2016 - Xinhua

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in building aviation infrastructure, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Wednesday, citing the country's civil aviation regulator.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the investment, which will focus on airports, will initially lead to 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades to existing facilities, Xinhua reported.

"The general aviation sector, especially aircraft research and manufacturing, has became a hot spot of both industrial upgrading and social concern," Feng Zhenglin, head of the CAAC, told the official news agency.

China's cabinet separately said late on Wednesday it would support the development of the country's aviation industry, including opening up low-altitude air space, an issue that currently constrains a fledgling market for helicopters and small aircraft.

(Reporting by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Richard Pullin)