Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

The Bank of Communications, China's fifth largest lender, will extend an eight billion yuan (US$990 million) line of credit to help China Eastern Airlines expand its fleets and purchase aviation equipment, according to the terms of an official agreement signed yesterday.
China Eastern Airlines, the country's third-largest carrier, plans to increase its fleet to more than 320 aircraft by 2010, entailing an addition of around 25 aircraft per year on average. The agreement indicates that the bank and the carrier have established a strategic cooperative partnership, with bilateral cooperation expected in domestic and overseas capital-raising, forex risk management and client-resource sharing.