China's civil aviation sector is set for a much busier 2025 winter-spring flight season, with multiple new international routes scheduled to open and foreign airlines resuming flights to China.
A total of 191 airlines are to operate 21,427 international flights a week to and from China, a year-on-year increase of 10.8 percent, connecting China with 83 countries, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Data from the CAAC showed that this season will feature a comprehensive growth in flight frequencies between China and the rest of the world. Passenger flights with 57 countries have surpassed last year's winter-spring season and cargo flights with 21 countries have exceeded the previous season's levels.
"In the new flight season, we're planning an average of over 11 percent more international and regional flights per week compared to the 2024 winter-spring season. Since last year, we've launched 23 new medium- and long-haul international routes. The upcoming Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires route to be launched on Dec 4 will become the world's longest. We'll achieve full route coverage across every continent on the globe," said Wang Qian, a senior manager of VIP services of China Eastern Airlines.
The new season will see the inauguration of passenger routes to Oman and Argentina, alongside new cargo routes to Panama, Chile and Switzerland.
Passenger flights with Belt and Road partner countries accounted for 73.5 percent of the total, while passenger flights to Latin America and Africa increased by 32.1 percent and 26.1 percent, respectively, from the previous winter-spring season.
"In the past, there were very few flights to Kenya. But now there are daily ones, and you can fly there directly from many cities across China," said Peng Dexin, a Chinese passenger.
"I can fly directly from Brisbane in Australia, directly into Guangzhou, so it was very convenient to fly directly into China. I could pick from a number of days and it was a direct flight," said Markcus, a passenger from Australia.
Many foreign airlines are also pacing up to restore their routes to China.
India's IndiGo has resumed its Guangzhou-Kolkata route last month and launched Delhi-Guangzhou service on Monday. Air Algerie has also inaugurated a new Guangzhou-Algiers route.
China's civil aviation sector set for busy winter-spring flight season
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
