This Day, That Year: Jan 7

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of New China's founding.

On Jan 7, 1981, a Boeing 747 flew from Beijing to New York, opening up the first route between China and the United States. It marked the official launch of regular flights between the two countries, a move that greatly promoted Sino-US exchanges and cooperation.

In 2006, there were 10 nonstop flights between the US and the Chinese mainland. Last year, there were more than 60, according to the Civil Aviation Administration.

Now, there is a flight every 17 minutes between China and the US.

The number of Chinese visitors arriving at US airports increased from 320,000 in 2006 to about 3 million in 2016. They spent an estimated $33 billion in 2016, when the two countries launched the US-China Tourism Year to boost the US tourism sector.

The US Department of Commerce expects 5.7 million Chinese tourists per year by 2021, making China the largest overseas market for the US travel industry. However, because of growing competition and rising fuel prices, two US airlines cut routes between China and the US last year.

China is the biggest source country for the 1 million overseas students studying in the US. Last year, about 360,000 Chinese students went to study in the US, according to the US Institute of International Education. In 1979, only 52 Chinese students were studying there.

This year marks the 40th anniversary since the two countries established diplomatic relations on Jan 1, 1979. Although there have been ups and downs, Sino-US relations have steadily advanced over the past 40 years.