China will need 5,522 passenger planes between 2015 and 2034, as its civil aviation market grows, a report said Wednesday.

The number of passenger aircraft will nearly triple from 2014 to over 6,000 in 2034, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China forecast in its market outlook report at the China Aviation Expo.

Passenger traffic will grow at about 7.4 percent annually in the coming 20 years, according to the report.

The company attributed the growth mainly to the Belt and Road Initiative, a proposal by Chinese President Xi Jinping to integrate economic development in Asia, Africa and Europe.

"More direct flights will link Chinese and foreign cities as current air links in this region are still weak," said the report.