China will further open its air market and promote flight right reforms to invite more overseas airlines into western China, said Yang Guoqing, vice director of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) Monday.

He made the remarks at the 20th forum on economic cooperation among six provinces, regions and municipality in southwestern China. The two-day forum closed Monday in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province.

"As long as overseas airlines are willing to open flights to western China cities, We (CAAC) won't have flight right limitations, and the domestic airlines are also welcome since many other measures are tailormade for them," Yang said.

Meanwhile, the air market in the Pan-Pearl River areas will open to the low-cost airlines in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries to boost tourism cooperation, Yang said.

The air market in southwestern China has been booming in recent years. Air passengers increased by 34.9 percent in 2004 from the previous year in the six provinces, regions and municipality, according to statistics from the CAAC.

The six provinces, regions and municipality registered 32 airports, most small-sized, at the end of 2004, about one fourth of the country's total, Yang said.

The CAAC will continue to promote construction of small-sized airports in southwestern China and plans to increase the airports in these areas to 48 by the end of 2010 and to about 60 by the end of 2020, Yang said.

The six provinces, regions and municipality in southwestern China refer to Chongqing Municipality, Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Guizhou Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Source: Xinhua