Airshow China is considered one of the five largest air shows in the world. The biennial event launched in 1996 and aims to be a gateway for technology exchange and cooperation between China's aerospace enterprises and their overseas counterparts. The 2008 show sealed 16 deals, with trade volume reaching about $4 billion.

Liu with Xiangcai Securities predicted that this year's sales will on par compared with the last show, as China's or-ders are mostly from countries such as Pakistan and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the Farnborough Airshow, which is one of the world's most famous, closed with orders worth $47 billion in 2010.

A source with China's air force, who asked not to be named, told the Global Times Monday that the Zhuhai Air Show is unlikely to catch up with the world's leading air shows in the short term because of frayed military ties between countries and an arms embargo on China.

"Nothing short of the normalization of military ties can help the Zhuhai air show keep up with other international shows," the source said, adding that China is willing to cooperate with other countries for joint development of advanced technologies.

However, Liu said that Airshow China, albeit young, provides an encouraging platform for China to display its most advanced technology and military weapons, adding that China is able to learn high-tech skills from other countries at the same time.