Travelers will soon enjoy more convenience in flights between China and the Netherlands thanks to Monday's signing of a memorandum on cargo and passenger transportation between the two countries.

According to the agreement signed in Beijing between China Southern Airlines Company Limited and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (RNA), the number of passenger flights between the Netherlands, Beijing and Shanghai will be doubled to four a week from the present two, said Roeland van Klaveren, director of Dutch Government & Industry Affairs.

The memorandum was made during Dutch Foreign Minister Karla Peijs's visit to China. She is in Beijing until October 19 at the invitation of Zhang Chunxian, Chinese Minister of Communications.

"We have achieved a qualification of all-cargo service between the Netherlands and Shanghai to meet the demand of increasing cargo transportation from Shanghai to Europe, and with the cargo flights being twice a week," Klaveren said.

In addition to adding flights to Beijing and Shanghai, KLM RDA will also add new flight destinations to six other cities, including Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province, Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province and Xiamen in East China's Fujian Province.

(China Daily October 14, 2003)