Direct Beijing-Europe link starts

Lufthansa airline will start a daily non-stop service between Beijing and Frankfurt from April 2, regional vice-president Manfred Reimer said yesterday. 'Lufthansa is very pleased to be the first European airline to offer daily non-stop service to Beijing,' Mr Reimer said. 'China is becoming the economic powerhouse of Asia and the world's largest market.' The airline's China representative Peter Emmerich said the economic downturn in much of Asia from the Southeast Asian financial crisis had not diminished opportunities in China.