China and Japan have agreed to allow flights between the primarily domestic airports in Shanghai and Tokyo in a move designed to increase business links.

Passenger charter services can be operated between Shanghai's Hongqiao airport and Tokyo's Haneda airport from the end of September, which marks the 35th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic ties between China and Japan.

All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL), China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines will each operate daily flights between the two airports, which are closer to the business districts of the two cities than their respective international airports, Shanghai's Pudong and Tokyo's Narita.

ANA and Shanghai Airlines will codeshare on their flights while JAL and China Eastern will do the same. Japan has had similar arrangements with South Korea since 2003 to allow for flights between Haneda and Seoul's Gimpo airport.