China on Friday announced the first delivery of its indigenous passenger jet as part of its plan to enter the commercial aircraft manufacturing sector, AFP reported.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV said the C919 commercial jetliner is expected to make its commercial debut early next year, according to the report.

The China-made narrow-body jet will challenge foreign models like the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320, it said.

While the aircraft will be made in China, most of its parts are sourced from abroad, indicating that it is still far from achieving self-sufficiency in aircraft technology.

In a ceremony at an airport in Shanghai, the first model of the plane was handed over to China Eastern Airlines, state media reported.

The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) passed the airline a "commemorative key to the world's first C919," CCTV reported.

COMAC said it has secured orders for 300 C919s and if the orders go through the number of known deals for the C919 can cross 1,100, based on figures from previous COMAC statements.

However, COMAC did not say if the orders have been confirmed and their total value.