China-EU friendly, open skies

Faced by growing demand for passenger and cargo routes, China and the European Union are preparing to negotiate an "open skies" accord to facilitate travel, state media reported. EU Vice-President Jacques Barrot told a EU-China aviation summit in Beijing Thursday that he has sought a mandate from European transport ministers to discuss aviation deals with China. Officials said only 20 European and Chinese airlines are allowed to operate China-EU routes, offering flights to 10 Chinese and 15 European cities. The total number of flights between the Mainland and Europe each week amounts to only 226 passenger and 60 cargo flights.