China’s aircraft maker expands its shipping business, establishing several subsidiaries in China, Hong Kong and Singapore to complement its growing shipbuilding consultancy business.

Singapore-listed AVIC International Investments, the holding arm of Aviation Industry Corp of China, has set up a ship-trading house in Xiamen, China with a registered capital of $4m, it announced in a regulatory filing.

AVIC Ship (Xiamen) is the latest step in the company’s expansion into shipbuilding through AVIC II.

Back in October last year AVIC II won a bid to acquire Finnish ship design firm Deltamarin for €32m, beating the offer from China State Shipbuilding Corp.