A new China Southern Airlines service linking south China's Guangzhou, northwest China's Urumqi and Frankfurt of Germany began operations on Monday.
This marks the first direct international passenger air route from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Germany.
The route makes Urumqi a stop on a twice-weekly intercontinental service to Frankfurt, with the Urumqi-Frankfurt leg taking about eight hours, the airline said.
For passengers in Xinjiang traveling to Central Europe, the new service can cut total journey time by more than 10 hours, as they previously often had to transfer through cities such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou.
The route is operated on Mondays and Fridays using Boeing 787-9 wide-body aircraft, with round trips offering nearly 600 seats each week, according to China Southern Airlines.
An official with the airline's Xinjiang branch said the route will help expand trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between China and Europe, particularly as China has introduced a unilateral visa-free policy for German citizens.
Xinjiang has been expanding its role as a gateway for China's westward opening up. The region now has 28 regular international passenger routes and 31 international cargo routes linking it with Central Asia, West Asia and Europe, Xinjiang Airport Group said.
China's Xinjiang gets first direct passenger air link to Germany
China has always been a reliable friend to Latin American and Caribbean countries and stands ready to work with regional countries, including Brazil, to further deepen and expand overall China-Latin America cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during the fifth China-Brazil Foreign Ministerial-Level Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in Beijing.
Wang said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Brazil relations have become increasingly global, strategic and far-reaching in influence.
"Practical cooperation across all fields has been steadily upgraded, and the two peoples have never been closer," he added.
Wang said the two sides should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue to advance the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future, jointly counter various external challenges, and build greater synergy for each other's modernization drives and the unity and self-improvement of Global South countries.
Noting that China appreciates the Brazilian government's long-standing commitment to the one-China principle, Wang said China supports Brazil in safeguarding its national sovereignty, upholding independence and autonomy, and achieving greater development.
The two sides should advance exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, tourism, sports, sub-national areas, youth, media and other fields, Wang said, adding that it is important to strengthen communication and coordination under multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations and BRICS, earnestly implement the four major global initiatives, and promote the development of a more just and equitable global governance system.
Vieira stated that Brazil will always adhere to the one-China principle. He said Brazil looks forward to consolidating strategic mutual trust with China, deepening practical cooperation, cementing public support for bilateral ties, and achieving common prosperity.
Noting that both Brazil and China are important forces championing multilateralism and free trade, Vieira said Brazil is ready to work with China to enhance multilateral coordination, jointly advance the reform of the global governance system, uphold the authority of the United Nations, and promote international fairness and justice.
China ready to work with Brazil to further expand overall China-Latin America cooperation: Chinese FM
