Honeywell Aerospace and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) will jointly develop a flight control system for commercial aircraft, said Honeywell Aerospace Asia Pacific Friday.

Both sides have started construction of a new research and production base for their joint venture HonFei Flight Technology Co. Ltd. (HonFei) in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, it said.

HonFei is a joint venture between the U.S. aerospace giant and AVIC Xi'an Flight Automatic Control Research Institute (AVIC FACRI) under the state-owned AVIC. It currently provides the flight system for the C919 large passenger airplane.

Covering 10,000 square meters, the new facility will research, develop, manufacture, test and simulate advanced flight control technologies, hardware, and software for various commercial aircraft.

It will focus on developing advanced flight control systems benefiting from advanced technologies in fly-by-wire flight control and other solid technical reserves from both sides.

"HonFei is an example of the success of China's strategy for enhancing capabilities in key industries through Sino-foreign joint ventures," said Steven Lien, president of Honeywell Aerospace Asia Pacific.

"It is also a symbol of our confidence in the future of China's commercial aviation industry and its competence in the global and Chinese market," he added.

Honeywell is now a major supplier of China's C919 airplane, providing four of its major systems, which include the flight control system, wheels and brakes, auxiliary power unit, and navigation system.

China's independently-developed C919 airplane conducted a successful maiden flight on May 5, 2017. It is now in its test flight phase.