China to invest $11.9 billion in aviation infrastructure in 2016

China plans to invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in the construction of civil aviation infrastructure, particularly airports, the country's chief civil aviation regulator said.

China will begin with 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said yesterday.

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"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, said.

The aviation sector will get preferential treatment to improve transportation, foster new growth engines, and boost employment and the service sector, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.