A senior official with China's civil aviation industry says China will introduce new measures to prevent the civil aviation industry from developing too quickly and ensure the country maintains its good safety record.

Li Jiaxiang, the newly appointed acting minister of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, says that the measures will ensure the stable development of the industry.

We will try to harmonize the pace of purchasing planes, personel resources and support resources so as to ensure air safety.”

The measures will include controls on the number of aircraft purchases that can be made by airlines, and the introduction of tighter restrictions on new airlines entering the market.

CAAC figures show the industry developed rapidly last year, with both passenger and cargo numbers recording double-digit growth.

Some 185 million people flew last year, 16 percent more than in 2006, and almost 4 million tons of cargo was transported, up 13 percent, year on year.

The CAAC has forecast airports this year will handle 210 million passengers, and 4.5 million tons of cargo.