China Southern Airlines has announced the launch of a new flight between Nairobi and the Chinese city of Guangzhou in a move expected to increase volume of trade and cultural interactions among the two countries, airline officials said in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The airline currently has scheduled two weekly flights between the two cities, departing on Monday and Friday, Wu Weijun, the general manager of China Southern Airlines, told journalists in Nairobi.

"Starting July 9, we shall introduce a third weekly direct flight from Nairobi to Guangzhou," said Wu.

He said Nairobi acts as the airline's hub for Africa, benefiting from Kenya Airways' extensive network across Africa.

"With the launch of Guangzhou Nairobi direct flight in 2015, we have so far transported 120,000 passengers. We are proud of building a flyover between Africa and China," said Wu.

He said the airline has partnered with Kenya Airways to ensure that most passengers from across Africa have a smooth connection to China Southern Airlines by first coming to Kenya.

The airline also has extensive network across Southern Asia, enabling passengers from Africa whose destination is not China to get seamless connections across the region.

Increased flights between Africa and China is an indication of growing trade and cultural exchanges between the two, with Nairobi emerging as the connecting hub for China and Africa, said Wu.