China, US agree to open skies for cargo.

China has agreed to lift virtually all restrictions on U.S. air-cargo carriers by 2011 and to allow more than twice as many passenger flights by 2012.

The deal will lift all government-set limits on the number of cargo flights and cargo carriers serving the two countries, as well as the number of cities they serve, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said.

Starting this year, Peters said, the new agreement will allow for 13 new daily flights operated by U.S. carriers to and from China within five years. One new daily flight will be added in 2007 and another in 2008, four new daily flights in 2009, three more daily flights in 2010, and two new daily flights …