TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Defense contractor Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation has extended its procurement agreement with Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., reports said Wednesday.

The two companies concluded the three-year extension of the accord on the margins of the Paris Air Show, per CNA. The defense contractor also used the event to promote aircraft engine parts produced at the new factory it opened in April in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District.

The cooperation with Kawasaki started in 2013 with the production of the Trent XWB-97K aircraft engine. In 2016, the two companies signed a long-term procurement agreement.

The signing of an extension at the Paris Air Show showed mutual respect, enhanced technology development and manufacturing efficiency, the Taiwanese company said.

Kaohsiung City Government emphasized the role of the location in Taiwan’s aerospace sector. At least 30% of the NT$146.64 billion (US$49.62 billion) value created by the industry last year in Taiwan came from the city, officials said.

Kaohsiung also organized and subsidized the country’s only National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program, having helped 80 businesses obtain certification.