China Southern Airlines starts Guangzhou-Kunming-Islamabad flights

By
Mehtab Haider
|
Photo: China Daily 

ISLAMABAD: China Southern Airlines on Thursday inaugurated its three flights between Islamabad-Kunming-Guangzhou on a weekly basis with a commitment to help both sides ensure air connectivity for promoting people-to-people contacts.

Minister Counsellor for Chinese Embassy Dr Wang Zhihuai while addressing the inauguration ceremony in Islamabad said this new route would be the fourth one between the two countries. “This air connectivity would significantly contribute towards enhancing exchange of visits between the two countries. It will help promote people-to-people contacts and enhance trade as well as economic ties,” Zhihuai said.

He added that around 500,000 Pakistani students visit China every year with 22,000 Pakistani students currently studying in China on scholarships.

The number of visitors from China, he said, are also increasing in Pakistan and opening up of this new route would definitely boost bilateral relations between the two sides.

The Chinese envoy further said that China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had strengthened ties between the two countries. “CPEC has entered its second phase. Currently more than 400 companies and 20,000 Chinese workforce were working in Pakistan,” Zhihuai said.

Originally published in The News