A C919, the first of the domestically produced large passenger aircraft, rolls off the assembly line in Shanghai on Nov 2, 2015. YIN LIQIN / FOR CHINA DAILY

Chinese manufacturers are preparing to take the nation's first passenger plane on its maiden flight. The locally designed and built aircraft marks a significant milestone in Chinese manufacturing, as China moves up the global production chain.

The COMAC C919, China's first locally designed and built passenger plane, has completed most of its ground-based pre-flight evaluations, and is expected to make its maiden flight later this year. The plane is a testament to China's determination to become a high-end manufacturing powerhouse.

Over 90 percent of the C919's main body could be built by Chinese manufacturers that supplies parts to top international aircraft makers like Boeing, Airbus, and Bombardier. China's manufacturing industry is making great efforts to move upwards in the global production chain.

"In last year's Government Work Report, Premier Li Keqiang advocated the Craftsman's Spirit. Two key factors for being a manufacturing giant are innovation and the ability to realize them. So my proposal this year concerns the education of qualified high-end industrial workers," Yuan Shouqi, a deputy to the National People's Congress, told CGTN.