Brazilian planemaker Embraer aims to increase its share of the Chinese market for smaller jet airliners, the Nikkei Asia website reports, citing Embraer Commercial Aviation Chief Executive Arjan Meijer.

The Japanese news website quotes Mr Meijer as saying in an interview that the potential for sales in the Chinese market is huge.

Mr Meijer said Embraer expected in the next decade demand worldwide for 5,500 jets with up to 150 seats, and that one-third of that demand would be in Asia, principally in China.

The report, citing Cirium, a collector and analyst of aviation data, says 96 Embraer aircraft are in service in China, making up 2.6 percent of the 3,739 planes in the Chinese commercial fleet of passenger jets.

The Embraer E2 airliner is ideal for flights serving Chinese provincial cities, which would develop the economy of inland China and increase the connections with neighbouring countries envisaged by the Chinese Belt and Road initiative, Nikkei Asia quotes Mr Meijer as saying