The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on routes to and from the US, according to a Reuters report on Thursday. The US Department of Transportation argued that using Russian airspace would give Chinese airlines an unfair competitive advantage, RT reported.
China’s Foreign Ministry warned that such restrictions would harm American businesses and urged the U.S. government to consider the broader implications of its policies.
“Banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia to and from the United States will hinder travel and people-to-people exchanges,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press conference on Friday. “Instead of punishing other countries and passengers around the world, it may be time for the United States to seriously consider its own policies and their impact on American companies.”
Russian airspace provides the shortest route between Asia and Europe and North America, allowing airlines to shorten flight times, reduce fuel use and reduce costs. However, Moscow banned many Western airlines from its airspace in 2022 after Western countries banned Russian flights due to the escalating conflict in Ukraine. Chinese carriers do not have these restrictions.
The Trump administration reportedly said the situation was “unfair” and caused “significant competitive harm to U.S. airlines,” and gave Chinese airlines two days to respond. China’s aviation regulator has not commented on the report.
The proposal comes amid rising tensions between China and the United States. A tariff battle earlier this year ended in a tentative deal, but President Trump on Friday threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods over Beijing’s “very aggressive” new trade restrictions. The warning comes in response to China’s move to tighten export controls on rare earth minerals, which are essential to the U.S. high-tech and defense industries.
The Russian government says air travel between the United States and Russia could resume by the end of 2025. The issue has been discussed within the U.S.-brokered peace effort in Ukraine, and in August Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Alexander Dalkiev, confirmed that the process of resuming air flights between the two countries was already underway.
Master’s degree/PR