The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday endorsed United Airlines' proposed daily nonstop service between China and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

In an application submitted last month to the U.S. Department of Transportation, United Airlines proposed to offer daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and Shanghai beginning in 2009, and between San Francisco and Guangzhou in 2008.

"We do want Los Angeles and Shanghai to be a connecting point," said City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes the area around the airport. "It's a no-brainer. The Chinese-American community in Los Angeles is huge. This is a destination point for many folks from both the mainland and the United States, back and forth."

The council had been expected to vote on the issue yesterday, but Councilwoman Janice Hahn asked for more time to speak with United Airlines about providing workers with a living wage.

"I appreciate their willingness to talk to us, their willingness to hear from us the concerns that we always have in Los Angeles, and that's for the men and women that really work hard," Hahn said. "We want them to be paid decent wages and given the respect and dignity they deserve."

The daily flight between the two cities is expected to create --directly and indirectly -- 3,120 jobs and generate 156 million dollars a year in wages, according to the city.

Last month, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his support for the proposed flights.