On November 18, the Dalian Municipal Government signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the China National Aviation Holdings Company (CNAH) in Beijing. Under the agreement, Dalian Free Trade Zone and Air China Cargo Co. Ltd. (ACC) will jointly establish Air Dalian Co. Ltd.. Upon approval of the project, Dalian will have its own air transport company, which will speed up the construction of the international shipping center of Northeast Asia to accelerate Dalian s internationalization. Xia Deren, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Liaoning Committee and secretary of the Dalian Party Committee, attended the signing ceremony. Mayor Li Wancai and Kong Dong, general manager of CNAH and president of ACC, delivered speeches. The Administrative Committee of Dalian Free Trade Zone and Dalian Airport respectively signed cooperation agreements with ACC the same day.
CNAH is an extra-large state-owned air transport group corporation, with ACC as the main body, combining with China National Aviation Corporation and China Southwest Airlines. Under the agreement, Dalian Free Trade Zone and ACC will build an air transport entity, mainly dealing in passenger/cargo air transportation. With Dalian as the center of the network of routes, it will radiate to provincial capital cities, coastal open cities and popular tourist attractions, and open international routes between Dalian and major cities of Japan and South Korea. It will drive the development of the entire air transport market of the Northeast through Dalian s radiation to establish, with Dalian as its base, international, regional, national and provincial route networks. The two sides will extend their cooperation in the airport, flight food, aircraft maintenance, ground services and tourism, develop freight logistics, promote integrated air and ground construction, and improve logistics and distribution systems, providing smooth flow through freight channels.
On behalf of the Dalian Party Committee and the Dalian Municipal Government, Li Wancai extended his congratulations on this cooperation. He said that the extent of the development of the air transport industry is an important symbol of a city s international economic status and level of internationalization. Dalian is an important port and a city of industry, commerce and tourism in Northeast Asia, and the key node in the Economic Zone of Northeast Asia as well as in the Bohai Sea Circle; it is also the largest base for passenger/cargo air transportation in the Northeast of China. Dalian has great market prospects and enormous space for growth with its unique conditions and advantages for the development of the air transport industry.
Li continued that the strategy of opening and developing the Liaoning Coastal Economic Zone has granted Dalian a core status in the region. Currently, with macro-urbanization as the vehicle, Dalian is stepping up the construction of the international shipping center, international logistics center and regional financial center of Northeast Asia as well as an industrial cluster and an eco-livable city. With Dalian s rapid economic and social development, a hub-like route network is urgently needed. That CNAH selected Dalian as their partner for long-term cooperation showed their pragmatism and strategic vision. With the principles of development, double wins, equality and mutual benefit, the Dalian Party Committee and the Dalian Municipal Government promiseCNAH first-class service and an excellent environment for their development in Dalian.
Kong Dong said in his speech that Dalian is CNAH s traditional market; the Dalian Party Committee and the Dalian Municipal Government have attached importance to and supported them in their development in Dalian for many years, which has paved the way for the deep cooperation and common development of the two parties. The signing of the strategic cooperation framework agreement will help ACC to further integrate capacity and market resources in Northeast Asia, and improve their market competitiveness; in return, they will offer their service to the construction of the international shipping center of Northeast Asia and Dalian s local economic and social development.
Before the ceremony, Xia and Li met with Kong and his party and had an in-depth discussion on cooperation between the two.
Wang Yinxiang, secretary of the Party Leadership Group of CNAH, Vice Mayor Zhang Jun, Lu Lin, director of the Administrative Committee of Dalian Free Trade Zone, Assistant Mayor Jiang Zhou and Xu Guochen, secretary-general of the Dalian Municipal Government, attended the meeting and the ceremony.
From: Dalian Daily
