December 17, the launching ceremony of the first direct flight from Shenyang to Los Angeles was held at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport.It marks the opening of the first direct flight from Shenyang to Los Angeles. Shenyang mayor Jiang Youwei pressed the launching button together with other relevant officials who attended the ceremony that day.

Shenyang-Los Angeles flight route is the first regular direct line to Los Angeles from NE China, which fills the vacancy of direct flight to the U.S. from NE China. This flight is executed by Southern Airlines North China Branch. The flight flies for eleven hours and forty minutes continuously. It's Southern Airlines' 5th international flight to the US opened in the 3rd domestic city.

Shenyang has been enhancing foreign trade, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges continuously since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy. Personnel exchange and internationalization have been improved greatly. 7 countries including the US, Japan and Germany set up consulates general in Shenyang. Number of official missions of foreign countries set in Shenyang ranks number 1 in NE China. Number of foreign invested enterprise in Shenyang reached 2540. As the largest commercial airport in NE China, Shenyang Taoxian International Airport has 226 international and domestic flight routes to 27 international cities and 91 domestic cities. Annual passenger throughput is about 18 million person-times.

Jiang Youwei extended congratulations to the opening of this flight route in his speech on behalf of Shenyang Municipal Government and Municipal Party Committee. He also expressed gratitude to all walks of the society for their support to the revitalization and development of Shenyang.He said the opening of Shenyang-Los Angeles direct international flight marks the opening of the "bridge in the air" which connects Shenyang and the US. It's another symbolic achievements gained in the opening up of Shenyang.It's of great importance to the perfection of urban function, the improvement of city image and especially the creation of internationalized business environment. It makes the contact between Shenyang and the world much closer. Business contacts, relative visiting and cultural exchange will be more and more convenient and efficient. Jiang Youwei hopes that Southern Airlines can adhere its service principal of customer orientation, go on providing the passengers with "reliable, punctual, convenient' service, and positively create high quality flight routes.

Jiang Youwei said Shenyang will strictly follow the spirit of the speech made by President Xi Jinping during the investigation in Liaoning and in the forum on further promotion of the revitalization of NE China, further emancipate our mind, focus on the construction of national center city, unswervingly implement reform, innovation and opening-up policy, devote all to create a new development situation with good business environment, strong innovation ability, excellent ecological environment and development vitality, and boost the overall revitalization of Shenyang in accordance with the requirement of high quality development in this new era.He welcomes friends from all over the world to come to Shenyang to invest, visit, share the opportunities and feel the charm of Shenyang.

Officials of China Southern Airlines, Liaoning Provincial Airport Management Group and Southern Airlines North China Branch addressed speeches at the launching ceremony.Gregory C. May, consul-general of U.S. Consulate General in Shenyang, Bobby Richey, minister-counselor of American Embassy in China, relevant officials of provincial government, Civil Aviation Administration Bureau in NE China, Air Traffic Management Bureau CAAC, Shenyang Customs and Shenyang Frontier Defense and Inspection Station, and Yan Bingzhe, vice mayor of Shenyang, attended this activity.

Reporter Li Haiying