China Eastern deal likely to go through

HONG KONG: The long-awaited strategic cooperation between the mainland's third-largest carrier, China Eastern Airlines, with Singapore Airlines and Temasek is almost a done deal, China Eastern Chairman Li Fenghua said yesterday, hosing down rumors that Air China might move to block it.

In a news conference announcing the final details of the deal, Li said it was next to impossible that Air China's parent company, a shareholder in China Eastern, would vote down the deal at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on January 8.