China Southern Airlines, a leading Chinese airline, has hailed the success of its inaugural flight from Beijing to the Saudi capital Riyadh last Tuesday, marking the commencement of regular direct passenger flights from the Chinese mainland to Saudi Arabia.
The twice-weekly flights will depart on Tuesdays and Saturdays and are being operated by an Airbus A330-300 plane which can carry a total of 240 passengers.
The outbound flights will depart from the Daxing International Airport in the Chinese capital shortly after 15:00 Beijing time and arrive at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport at around 20:00 local time, with a flight duration of approximately 10 hours, according to the airline. Meanwhile, the return flights are scheduled to take off from Riyadh at 22:10 local time and arrive in Beijing around noon the following day.
China Southern Airlines has launched a total of 14 direct international routes from the Beijing Daxing International Airport since it opened in 2019. In addition to major destinations like London and Amsterdam, earlier this year the airline also added services from Beijing to the Kazakh city of Almaty and to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and has announced plans to open more new flight routes in the coming months.
Chinese airline begins regular direct flights to Saudi Arabia
Chinese airline begins regular direct flights to Saudi Arabia
A French student from the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University recently called for more educational exchanges between the two countries.
During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Bouaoud Elies shared his experience living and studying in China.
After graduating from the business school at Beijing Foreign Studies University, Elies decided to stay in the country. He said he continues to study Chinese to improve his competitiveness and explore the huge trade opportunities between the two countries.
"I mean I love it here. I don't want to go back to France. I would like to become the bridge between France and China. So, if I can do this, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road, now the relations between France and China are very good. So, I think a lot of things will happen," he said.
Elies also said he hopes that more French students could visit China and develop a better understanding of the country.
France was the first major western country to establish full diplomatic ties with China, and the history of educational exchanges can be traced back more than a century and a half when China sent its students to France to study maritime affairs.
Since then, exchanges have deepened considerably.
"In China, we have established 14 French training centers. In France, we have established 19 Confucius Institutes. These institutions serve as bridges for mutual understanding and trust between the youth and people of the two countries, enhancing language and cultural connections," said Yang Dan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges under the Ministry of Education.
French student calls for more educational exchanges with China
