ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia's national flag carrier, announced that it has added the southern Chinese cities of Xiamen and Shenzhen to its cargo destinations.

In a press statement issued late Friday, the airline said it has already started two weekly freighter flights connecting Xiamen with the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo and the Chilean capital of Santiago via the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

The statement also said Ethiopian Airlines plans to commence two weekly flights between Shenzhen and the Belgian city of Liege as of next Friday. The airline plans to deploy Boeing 777 freight aircraft on the new cargo routes.

"The new cargo flights will be instrumental in facilitating cargo shipments across the world by improving air connectivity among China, Africa, Europe and South America," the airline said.

Ethiopian Airlines already operates freighter flights to the Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Changsha and Wuhan.

In January, Ethiopian Airlines announced that its passenger flights to China will return to pre-COVID-19 levels by March 2023.

The expansion of existing and new Chinese destinations came as Ethiopian Airlines marks five decades since the start of its passenger service to China back in 1973.