"We need to strengthen policy coordination, strengthen systemic risk monitoring and macro-prudential regulatory requirements. Only in this way can we firmly safeguard the bottom line in preventing systemic and regional financial risks."

Hu Xiaolian, vice-governor of the People's Bank of China, saying better policy coordination among regulators will help improve financial system supervision and ward off potential financial risks.

"The gap between what China can do and what European companies expect is still there, but China is on track for more reform and opening-up."

Liu Mingli, a researcher with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, saying that European companies may have to reduce manufacturing investments over the long term in China. Despite the outlook on profitability declining to an all-time low in China, European companies remain committed to the Chinese market, at the same time calling for further reforms to promote the rule of law and fairer competition.

"China will surpass the US and become the world's largest domestic air travel market in the next 20 years."

Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, commenting on China's long-term aviation market prospects. China's civil aviation fleet is expected to triple to 6,450 aircraft over the next two decades, and Chinese carriers will grow faster in the international market than in the domestic sector, Boeing said in its market outlook.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 09/13/2013 page18)