HEFEI - China Eastern Airline on Thursday launched direct services between the eastern city of Hefei and Osaka, Japan.

China Eastern is offering two weekly round-trip flights on Thursdays and Saturdays, the airline said in a statement.

The first direct flights to Japan from Hefei, capital of Anhui province, will help to boost tourism, trade and investment, the statement said.

Japan is the second-largest foreign investment source for Anhui, which is home to 405 Japanese-funded businesses.