June 11 (Reuters) - China's state-owned planemaker COMAC

has proposed taking a stake in Laos' government-owned Lao

Airlines, which recently started operating one of COMAC's C909

regional jets, the state-run Vientiane Times reported on

Wednesday.

According to the outlet, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay

Siphandone told the National Assembly on Monday the Lao

government is considering the proposal from COMAC for a

"comprehensive venture" that includes COMAC holding at least a

51% stake.

The national carrier is one of four key state enterprises

that are undergoing reform, the prime minister is reported to

have said.

Lao Airlines and COMAC did not immediately respond to

requests for comment.

Lao Airlines took delivery of a C909 at the end of March and

has been flying it on domestic routes.

COMAC is developing its own commercial planes to compete

with dominant planemakers Airbus and Boeing ( BA ).

Its narrow-body C919 flies within China only, but COMAC has

placed its older and smaller C909 regional jet with airlines in

Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos in a bid to break into foreign

markets.

The state-owned Chinese planemaker has since the start of

last year stepped up marketing to regulators and airlines as it

seeks to compete internationally with rivals Airbus, Boeing ( BA ) and

Embraer ( ERJ ), and ramped up production its aircraft.

COMAC's C909, previously branded as the ARJ21, is a regional

jet that seats up to 90 people and is China's first jet-powered

plane to reach commercial production. It entered service in

2016.

(Writing by Lisa Barrington in Seoul; Additional reporting by

Sophie Yu; Editing by Hugh Lawson)