China Southern Airlines vice-president Qi Peng says the company is determined to establish direct flights from Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, to the island of Guam, Guampdn.com reported on April 13.

China Southern is one of China's largest airlines, with 2,000 daily flights to destinations in 40 countries and regions, using 600 passenger and cargo aircraft, according to its website.

No date has been given for the Guam operation, and the airline says it is sending a delegation there, with airline officials, tourism industry professionals, and Shenyang city officials.

The US consulate in Shenyang has said that they will process travel visas as quickly as possible to make it easier to travel to Guam.

The island says it wants to welcome 2 million tourists each year by 2020 and to reach that goal they need about 120,000 more tourists each year over the next five years. Guam will also need to add about 1,600 hotel rooms to accommodate the additional tourists, according to the industry.