BEIJING, China (CMC):

China's aviation company, CATIC Group, has proposed plans to expand its activities in Suriname and establish a regional hub for the Caribbean, said Suriname's ambassador to China, Isaak Soerokarso.

A delegation from the CATIC Group is due here later this week for talks with government officials and the national carrier, Surinam Airways, on the issue.

Surinam Airways' General Manager, Henk Jessurun, said his company is interested in buying planes from the Chinese company.

The CATIC Group is a subsidiary organisation of the former Aviation Industries Corporation of China, which oversees the research anddevelopment, production and sale of all military and civilian aircraft in China.