The first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner rudder manufactured entirely in China was delivered on Monday in Chengdu, Sichuan province, the company said.

The rudder is manufactured by Chengdu Civil Aviation Corp, which is the sole source supplier for the critical part of the aircraft, said Marc Allen, president of Boeing China.

CCAC was commissioned in 2005 to develop and produce the rudder for the Boeing 787-8, and the contract was extended to include the Dreamliner in 2012.

“We are proud to contribute to the manufacture of the newest Boeing aircraft,” said Zhang Hua, vice-president of CCAC.

Boeing is the largest buyer of airplane components and parts in China, with 35 direct suppliers and hundreds of secondary vendors.

Some 7,000 Boeing airplanes fly throughout the world with integrated China-built parts or parts assembled in China.