Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAS) has announced additional destinations and new routes in China. The Malaysia national carrier will commence flying to eight destinations and 11 new routes in China from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Penang, beginning in early 2017.

The new destinations in China are Haikou, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Tianjin and Shenzhen. The flights will constitute an additional 35 weekly flights between Malaysia and China.

In addition, MAS will add a second daily flight between Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai, subject to slots, in April 2017.

Malaysia Airlines chief executive officer, Peter Bellew, said the airline plans to triple its Chinese business over the next five years.

“He also said that the potential for direct flights to 20 Chinese cities from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching by 2019. We have huge confidence in China. The improved connectivity will foster deeper business links between the two nations.

MAS will also promote tourism in Malaysia and China through seasonal or ad-hoc services to key leisure markets such as Langkawi, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

The announcement of MAS’ new flights was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Beijing.