The Evolution of China’s International Aviation Markets from a Policy Perspective on Air Passenger Flows

China’s international air transportation has experienced tremendous growth and major reforms over the past two decades. While there has been a considerable discussion on the evolution of China’s domestic aviation market, studies on China’s international aviation markets have been limited. This paper first describes the historical development of China’s international aviation market and then, based on actual origin/destination (O/D) passenger flow data, explores the relevant evolution of China’s international air networks from the perspectives of the spatial distribution of international air networks and clustering characteristics of international air passengers. The development of China’s international aviation market can be attributable to the deregulation process in China’s aviation market and a broad “opening up” strategy in the global forum after 1990. Due to China’s proximity to East Asia and Southeast Asia, China’s international air networks show an obvious clustering pattern for short and medium-haul travel in Asia. In addition, average international air travel distance, institutional and policy changes, and increasing foreign trade and foreign tourism are crucial for the expansion of China’s international air networks.