Xinhua News | Over 14,000 kilometers! "The longest direct international passenger route" builds a "new bridge" for China's exchanges with Latin America
On the evening of May 11, the first flight CZ8031 took off from Shenzhen, flew for about 16 hours, covered more than 14,000 kilometers, and arrived in Mexico City.
This route is unusual - it is currently the longest direct international passenger route in my country, and the only direct passenger route from mainland my country, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to Mexico and even Latin America.
The "cross-hemispheric" exchange distance between China and Latin America has been narrowed.
Previously, Chinese passengers flying from China to Mexico or other Latin American countries usually had to make one or two transfers in other countries or regions, and the journey time was as long as 30 to 40 hours. After the opening of the new route, the direct flight from Shenzhen to Mexico City will only take about 16 hours.
The opening of a direct passenger route is ultimately driven by the source of passengers and demand from the two places.
Mexico is China's second largest trading partner in Latin America and has a long history and rich tourism resources. In recent years, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have become increasingly frequent, with a diverse customer source base including tourism, business, family visits, and labor services.
Cross-hemispheric communication is far away, yet very close. High-quality beef from the Pampas, mellow red wine from the Andes, and specialty coffee from the tropical rainforests... More and more high-quality products from Latin America are entering Chinese households, and Chinese mobile phones, computers, cars and other products continue to sell well in Latin America.
"The opening of this route is an important measure taken by China Southern Airlines to actively respond to and serve the needs of China-Latin America economic and trade development and personnel exchanges, and to promote high-level opening up." said Yuan Jintao, general manager of China Southern Airlines Shenzhen Branch.
This is a smooth and open "Silk Road in the sky."
Jesús Schyard, Mexican Ambassador to China, who attended the maiden flight ceremony that day, said that China is Mexico’s largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region and Mexico’s second largest trading partner in the world. In order to promote Mexico’s economic and social development , we must strengthen ties with China. “As an ambassador, I have witnessed that Mexico has aroused strong interest from Chinese companies, and Chinese companies’ willingness to invest in Mexico has grown rapidly.”
Currently, exchanges and cooperation between China and Latin America continue to deepen. On May 1, the China-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement officially came into effect, further expanding China’s free trade “circle of friends” in Latin America. Data from the General Administration of Customs of China show that China-Latin America trade volume will exceed US$489 billion in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 1.1%.
In terms of jointly building the "Belt and Road", China has signed cooperation documents with 22 Latin American countries to jointly build the "Belt and Road". Both parties continue to promote infrastructure construction, trade, investment, finance, tourism, space, Antarctica, oceans, environmental protection and other fields. Cooperation and personnel exchanges are becoming increasingly close.
For example, in Bolivia, Chinese-funded enterprises have built more than 2,000 kilometers of roads in recent years, creating more than 10,000 local jobs; in Suriname, the technical assistance project of the China-Aid Suriname Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center is deeply loved by the locals; in Paisan, Uruguay In Du Province, Chinese companies have helped Uruguay build a power transmission network that spans five northern provinces of Uruguay and has truly brought benefits to local people...
"The purpose of opening direct flights is to further deepen and consolidate the friendship between China and Latin America," said Cai Wei, director of the Latin American Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
