Japan, China agree to boost aviation links
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-07-14 08:33
China and Japan agreed on Thursday to boost the number of flights between
their respective countries in the latest move to improve ties between the Asian
neighbours.
Under the agreement, the number of passenger flights will rise by 20 percent
and the number of cargo flights will double, Japan's Transport Minister Kazuo
Kitagawa said in a statement after a meeting with civil aviation authorities in
Beijing.
The deal, which follows a year and a half of negotiations, will allow 13
companies from each country to provide flights, up from the current six.
"We anticipate that this agreement will lead to further development of
aviation links between the two countries," the ministry statement said.
The total number of weekly flights between China and Japan will be boosted to
547, with Chinese companies responsible for 300, while Japanese companies
provide 247.
In 2005, about 6.4 million passengers flew between Japan and China.
Ties between China and Japan have hit their worst levels in decades in recent
years over a variety of issues, many of which stem from Japan's invasion and
occupation of parts of China in the early 20th century.
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