The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Thursday confirmed United Airlines has won the final approval for a daily non-stop flight between Washington DC and Beijing.

"Today's action finalizes DOT's tentative decision to award the seven weekly frequencies to United, whose bid the department determined would serve the most customers and provide the best service to the traveling public," the department said in a statement.

The new nonstop service would begin on March 25 between Washington Dulles International Airport and Beijing's China Beijing Capital Airport.

Four U.S. carriers, American, United, Continental and Northwest, had been rallying support to win the rights for the only flight opening to the fast-growing China market. And at last, United Airlines won the approval.

"If there are two countries in this world that understand the need for fast, efficient and convenient service, it's the United States and China," Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said. "That's why we are making it a lot easier to travel between the capital cities of the world's two most dynamic economies starting later next month."

The U.S. and Chinese governments each are awarding rights to a local carrier for seven flights a week connecting the two countries, under an aviation agreement signed in July 2004

But Secretary Peters said that recent talks between the two countries aimed at increasing flight frequencies for both passenger and cargo service, and said she plans to travel to China this spring to discuss liberalization of the U.S.-China aviation agreement.

"It is clear that the market could support much more service, so we are redoubling our efforts to liberalize our aviation agreement with China," she said.