China will launch nine temporary charter flights to transport delegates from ASEAN countries during the upcoming China-ASEAN Expo, a tourist official said in Nanning on Thursday.

The nine non-stop flights will facilitate the travel of delegates from the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during October 17-23, when the second fair of the expo is held, said Jia Yucheng, the director with the Nanning Tourism Bureau.

The flights, jointly operated by Shenzhen Airlines and Guilin International Travel Service, will link Nanning to Singapore, Bangkok, Rangoon, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, PhnomPenh and Vientiane.

The price of the flights and the ways to buy the tickets will not be unveiled until August 15, said Jia.

Nanning will open three more regular flights linking Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore in the near future and more temporary charter flights are expected to be opened soon for the forthcoming expo.

Official statistics show that over 16,000 ASEAN tourists have visited Nanning in the first half of the year, up nearly 38 percent year-on-year.

The ASEAN comprises Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, and the Brunei.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2005)