The Chinese government is considering cutting taxes on the import and leasing of aircraft to bring the country in line with international standards, according to a senior official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China. "China's tax on the import and leasing of aircraft is higher than most countries in Europe and the United States.

Many European countries, such as Germany and UK, levy no taxes on aircraft imports, so we are considering cutting the tax," Sha Hongjiang, CAAC vice director of planning and development department, said yesterday.