An advanced engine development facility will be built in Sichuan province as the nation moves closer to building its own jumbo jet.

The base in Mianyang will provide advanced testing facilities and simulate the height and speed of an aircraft at high altitude, said Guo Xin, head of the gas turbine institute of the China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC).

"The engine is the heart of an airplane. China needs a first-class experimental base for developing homemade aero-engines," he told China News Agency.