On December 4, China Eastern Airlines and Auckland Airport jointly held the inaugural ceremony for China Eastern Airlines' "Southern Link" route, which connects Shanghai, Auckland, and Buenos Aires. Ambassador Wang Xiaolong attended and delivered a speech. Distinguished guests at the ceremony included New Zealand’s Minister of Immigration Erica Stanford, Minister of Tourism Louise Upston, Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown, Ambassador of Argentina to New Zealand Maria Belen Bogado, Ambassador of Argentina to China Marcelo Suárez Salvia, Consul General of China in Auckland Chen Shijie, China Eastern Airlines General Manager Gao Fei, and Auckland Airport CEO Carrie Hurihanganui.

Photo by Vicky Lu

In his speech, Ambassador Wang congratulated China Eastern Airlines on the launch of the "Southern Link" route. He noted that this new air corridor not only links cities but also closely connects the economically dynamic East Asia with Latin America via New Zealand. The new route will provide travelers with more options, promote and strengthen people-to-people exchanges among the three parties, and play a significant role in enhancing the resilience and efficiency of global supply chains while addressing uncertainties arising from an increasingly fragmented world. Ambassador Wang expressed gratitude to all parties for their hard work in launching the route and wished the "Southern Link" route a complete success.

Other guests at the inaugural ceremony also spoke highly of the launch of the "Southern Link" route. They noted that it will not only directly promote economic and cultural ties among China, New Zealand and Argentina, but also will further advance the comprehensive development of China-New Zealand, China-Argentina, and New Zealand-Argentina relations, creating a win-win situation for multiple parties.

Photo by Vicky Lu