China will welcome 200 more international flights next year, a senior aviation official said on Thursday. This move is in line with the government's aim to increase flights with countries involved in China's Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the head of China's Civil Aviation Administration Li Jiaxiang, the country currently caters 663 international routes both offered by local and foreign companies. Of these, 369 began their operation this year.

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"We will open more than 200 international routes next year. A major reason is that we intend to strengthen air links among countries related to the Belt and Road Initiative because air transportation is vital to international travel," Jiaxiang said during the annual civil aviation industry conference held in Beijing.

The Belt and Road Initiative was first introduced in 2013 by President Xi Jinping. It refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt, which will connect China with other continents like Europe, and Central and Western Asia, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which will expand from southern China to Southeast Asia and Africa. 

This initiative will benefit around 4.4 billion people in 65 countries. In 2014, the People Republic's trade volume reached up to USD 1.12 trillion, which is approximately a quarter of the total global trade that year.

"We estimate that our civil aviation industry will enjoy a big boost in 2016 thanks to the rapid expansion of air transportation sectors in countries covered by the initiative," Li said.

However, he hopes that the government will soon address the problem of lack of infrastructure and airspace to accommodate the additional flights.

Of note, Li said in June that China will allocate 200 billion yuan (USD 32 billion) to work out 51 civil aviation initiatives particularly the Belt and Road Initiative before the year ends. He further added that this has been a great year for the country's aviation industry for it has not only earn a tremendous profit of 54.7 billion yuan but also made it to the list of top performing markets in air transportation across the globe.

TagsPresident Xi, Belt and Road Initiative, air transportation, aircraft