The Beijing-Naha direct flight will be resumed in mid-September with a simplified Chinese visa application procedure for people in Okinawa. Experts said this reflected China’s response to the appeal of Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki, who expressed a wish to boost exchanges between Okinawa and China during his visit in early July.
Air China will resume the direct flight between Beijing and Naha on September 17, after the flight was suspended in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The Okinawan newspaper, The Ryukyu Shimpo, reported this on Saturday. This resumed direct flight will be the second one between Okinawa and the Chinese mainland after China Eastern resumed the Shanghai-Naha route in July.
According to the Consulate-General of China in Fukuoka, starting from August 11, the procedure for Okinawans applying for Chinese visas will be simplified. They won’t need to appear in person at the Consulate General in Fukuoka if they apply through a travel agency.
