Grand Ceremony Held for Opening Direct Detroit-Shanghai FlightA ceremony was held in Detroit April 6 for the opening of the first direct flight from Detroit to Shanghai, which is a cooperative venture between Northwest Airlines of the United States and Air China.Attending the ceremony were more than 200 people including Wei Ruixing, Chinese consul general to Chicago, and his wife; Qin Xiaomei, wife of Chinese ambassador to the United States Li Zhaoxing; and representatives from Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and Engler, Governor of Michigan, and his wife, Dennis Archer, mayor of Detroit, and the business group of Michigan, who were taking the first flight to visit China, as well as John H. Dasburg, president and chief executive officer of Northwest Airlines. On behalf of Ambassador Li Zhaoxing, Consul General Wei Ruixing extended his congratulations to the Northwest Airlines and he wished Governor Engler and Mayor Dennis Archer success in their China visits. He praised the Northwest Airlines as the forerunner in the American aviation circle to explore the Chinese market. He believed that the opening of the direct flights between Detroit and Shanghai will greatly promote the economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and the mid-west of the United States. Governor Engler said in his speech that Michigan has historically maintained close economic and trade relationship with China. This time he led the Michigan government and business circle delegation to visit Shanghai by taking the first direct flight for the purpose of further strengthening economic and trade relationship with China and expanding the sphere of cooperation. He hopes that people of all circles and the members of the two Parties in Michigan will support the Congress in passing the proposal to grant China PNTR (Permanent Normal Trade Relations) status at an early date as they support him in his visit to China. John H. Dasburg, president and chief executive officer of Northwest Airlines, said that China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is expected to join the WTO this year, the Northwest Airlines sees the Chinese market as promising. Founded in 1926, the Northwest Airlines of the United States is the fourth biggest airlines in the world as well as the oldest one in the country. The new flights from Detroit to Shanghai will be marked by B747-400. There will be three direct flights for passengers and two for cargoes each week. |
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