A round-trip route operated by China's domestically-produced C919 passenger jet between Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province and Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province officially launched on Sunday, making Hefei the 23rd city in China to welcome the C919 into service.
Flight CZ3813, carrying 144 passengers, slowly taxied through a water salute after landing at Hefei Xinqiao International Airport, a prestigious aviation tradition, marking the C919's maiden flight to Hefei.
China Southern Airlines will use its C919 aircraft to operate up to five round-trip flights per week on this route during the peak tourist season in May.
China Southern Airlines, the country's largest carrier, now operates 10 C919 aircraft. As of Monday, its C919 fleet had completed more than 9,500 flights, transporting over 1.3 million passengers to 23 destinations.
Currently, the service network of the C919 is continuously expanding, efficiently connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with the Yangtze River Delta city cluster.
China's C919 aircraft begins to serve Guangzhou-Hefei air route
The opening ceremony of the 2026 SCO Digital Economy Forum was held Tuesday in Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The ongoing forum, scheduled from Monday to Wednesday, has brought together some 500 participants, including government officials, think tank experts, business leaders, academics and industry association representatives from SCO member states. Among them, more than 200 are international delegates.
Themed "Promoting SCO Data Connectivity, Shaping the Future with AI", the event aims to explore new avenues for practical cooperation in the digital economy, promote the exchange and alignment of digital economy policies and plans, continue to deepen mutual trust regarding data, advance the application of data and artificial intelligence across various sectors, and promote deeper, higher-quality regional cooperation.
The forum includes a ministerial-level closed-door meeting, an opening ceremony and plenary session, four thematic sub-forums, and a series of side events.
During the ministerial session, participants will focus on strengthening intergovernmental dialogue and practical cooperation, and are expected to draw up a priority cooperation agenda for the SCO digital economy (2026-2027) to guide joint efforts in the coming years.
The four thematic forums cover digital connectivity, digital trade and corridor economy, digital-intelligent industry applications, as well as digital governance and capacity building.
To facilitate tangible outcomes, the forum also features an interactive exhibition, business matchmaking sessions, and field visits to local projects and enterprises.
Digital economy cooperation has become a key priority on the SCO agenda in recent years. At the SCO Tianjin Summit in September 2025, heads of member states adopted a statement on strengthening digital economic development, committing to deeper collaboration in formulating international rules and standards for data security, advancing digital infrastructure development, and improving the delivery of public services.
2026 SCO Digital Economy Forum opens in China's Xinjiang
