Ningbo reached a strategic cooperation agreement with China Eastern Airlines on Nov 19, according to local media reports.

According to the agreement, the Shanghai-based company will construct its Asia Pacific logistics distribution operation center in Ningbo, making the city a transportation hub for air cargo charter flights.

The two will work together to build Ningbo into an important supply base for global high-end products relying on the China Eastern Airlines air freight network.

To this end, a series of supporting facilities such as an agricultural products distribution center and a deep processing center will also be established in the city.

Ningbo is an economic powerhouse in the southern Yangtze River Delta region with an advantageous location and strong manufacturing sector, noted Zheng Shanjie, Party chief of Ningbo, while meeting Liu Shaoyong, president of China Eastern Airlines.

The city has seen rapid improvement in its public transportation in recent years, Zheng said, revealing that the Ningbo airport will soon enter its fourth phase of construction.

He expressed excitement about the new partnership with China Eastern Airlines, a leading state-owned company in the aviation sector, and pledged the full support of local government in making the partnership successful.

Liu expressed gratitude to the governments of Zhejiang and Ningbo for their long-term support of the company.

He said that the company is upbeat about the local aviation sector's future development prospects given the strong economic growth momentum in the region.

With a fleet of 700 planes, China Eastern Airlines is the world's seventh and China's second largest carrier, carrying 130 million passengers annually.