Two J-20 stealth fighter jets of the PLA Air Force performs in this 2018 file photo during the 12th Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. [Photo courtesy IC]

The 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which was scheduled to open in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, next month, has been postponed, its organizing committee said on Tuesday.

It said in a statement published on its website that the postponement was due to global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and out of consideration of participants' health, travel convenience and the quality of the event.

New dates for the exhibition will be announced in due course, it said, adding that the organizers apologized for the inconvenience.

The biennial exhibition, popularly known as the Zhuhai Airshow, is one of the largest defense exhibitions in the world and the only regular occasion that members of the public can closely observe Chinese weapons, especially those designed for export.

The Air Force usually sends its best hardware, such as J-20 stealth fighter jets and Y-20 strategic transport planes, to stage exhibition flights at the air show. State-owned space conglomerates also use the exhibition to display their newest carrier rockets and spacecraft.

The 12th exhibition, held in November 2018, attracted more than 400,000 visitors. A total of 770 companies from 43 countries and regions showcased technologies, products or services at the six-day event.