German national carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced Tuesday it will enter a cooperation with Chinese state-owned airline Air China.

The two groups will sign a code-sharing agreement on October 9, enabling them to offer connections to each other's services under a single flight number. The cooperation will also provide Lufthansa with a long sought-after foothold on the Chinese market.

The agreement will take effect from October 29, when Lufthansa will launch services to Beijing and Shanghai.

News of the code-sharing agreement has fueled speculation that Air China will soon become a member of Lufthansa's Star Alliance, which includes United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SAS and Thai Airways.

(Eastday.com 09/29/2000)