Southeast Asian and Latin American countries will be the nation's key partners in the aviation sector next year, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday.

A policy framework is expected to be set up on civil aviation co-operation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Yang Yuanyuan, director of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).

Yang was speaking at the administration's two-day national conference held in Beijing.

"The framework will help expand the nation's aviation relations with its neighboring countries," Yang said.

The robust economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN members have prompted the partnership in civil aviation sector, insiders said.

The increase in Chinese people choosing Southeast Asian countries as their tourist destinations also adds impetus to the industry cooperation.

"We will also highlight the aviation teamwork with Latin American countries while speeding up the opening-up drive to Europe Union members," Yang said.

Domestic airlines are encouraged to forge partnership with their counterparts in South American countries in various forms such as code sharing, he added.

"We hope to open flights to south American countries within next year," Yang said.

Early this year, China signed air transport pacts with Mexico and Argentina.

"The negotiations on aviation transport services are under way between China and Cuba and Brazil," said Wang Ronghua, director of CAAC's Department of International Cooperation.

Airline companies welcome the CAAC's policy and some have conducted market investigations in related countries.

An official from the China Southern Airlines' Beijing Office said his company has dispatched a team to investigate the aviation market in South American countries.

"Whether the company chooses to fly to these countries will be based on final market analysis," he said on condition of anonymity.

CAAC reports show the nation has already signed bilateral air transport agreements with 96 countries to date

By the end of last year, the nation had opened 194 new international air routes leading to 72 cities in 32 countries. A total of 74 foreign airlines operate regular flights into the country.

(China Daily  December 29, 2004)