Perth to Shanghai flights begin on China Eastern with month-long trial
The first 185 passengers to fly direct from Shanghai to Perth arrived at Perth Airport Wednesday morning, but a China expert is warning Beijing's track record means their patronage could come with a catch. The flight is part of a month-long trial with state-owned China Eastern Airlines, who will fly between the cities three times a week. The trial is expected to inject $4m into Western Australia's economy and has been heralded with much fanfare by the State Government. But China expert Dr Jie Chen said any state making arrangements with China must be aware that what the Chinese Communist Party gave in terms of tourism deals, it could also take away. "China being a party state is quite different from let's say India," the UWA associate professor said. "We get a lot of tourists from India, a lot of students from India, you don't have to worry whether the Indian Government itself was capable of using this as some sort of diplomatic or political weapon, but the Chinese Government can do that. That's the concern, that's the issue that makes China different from the other major sources of international students and tourism to Australia in general, to WA in particular."<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2020-01-15/sky/perth-to-shanghai-flights-begin-on-china-eastern-with-month-long-trial
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/logo.png
Perth to Shanghai flights begin on China Eastern with month-long trial
The first 185 passengers to fly direct from Shanghai to Perth arrived at Perth Airport Wednesday morning, but a China expert is warning Beijing's track record means their patronage could come with a catch. The flight is part of a month-long trial with state-owned China Eastern Airlines, who will fly between the cities three times a week. The trial is expected to inject $4m into Western Australia's economy and has been heralded with much fanfare by the State Government. But China expert Dr Jie Chen said any state making arrangements with China must be aware that what the Chinese Communist Party gave in terms of tourism deals, it could also take away. "China being a party state is quite different from let's say India," the UWA associate professor said. "We get a lot of tourists from India, a lot of students from India, you don't have to worry whether the Indian Government itself was capable of using this as some sort of diplomatic or political weapon, but the Chinese Government can do that. That's the concern, that's the issue that makes China different from the other major sources of international students and tourism to Australia in general, to WA in particular."<br/>
