Now that much of the world has applied reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) standards in the upper flight levels, it was only a matter of time before forward-thinking China followed suit.

The Civil Aviation Authority of China’s air traffic management bureau is interested in implementing RVSM country-wide and has approached the FAA for information and technical training. During a recent meeting at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J. (which coincidentally occurred on the six-month anniversary of RVSM implementation in the U.S.), Chinese officials reiterated plans calling for the adoption of RVSM in the next few years, although the date is not yet set in stone, according to an FAA official who attended the meeting.

China’s Civil Aviation Authority and the FAA have a relationship going back to 1986, when the U.S. agency established an office in Beijing. More recently, in 1994, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey visited China, signing an accord to help China improve air safety and capacity.