China Strongly Condemns U.S. Plan to Ban Passenger Flights Over Russia
The Chinese Ministry of foreign Affairs responded to the U.S. government’s proposal to prohibit Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace for flights between China and the United States, according to webangah News Agency citing Mehr News agency and RT.
Last Thursday, Reuters reported that the Trump management had put forward this suggestion. The U.S.Department of Transportation claimed that allowing Chinese airlines access to Russian airspace grants them an unfair competitive advantage.
The Chinese Foreign ministry warned that such restrictions would harm American companies and urged Washington to consider the broader consequences of its policy.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakon stated, “Banning chinese carriers from flying over Russia on routes connecting China and the U.S. will disrupt passenger travel and human exchanges between our countries.Perhaps it is better for the U.S. to take a closer look at its policy and how it affects American businesses.”
Russian airspace offers the shortest paths connecting Asia with Europe and North America, enabling airlines to reduce flight times, consume less fuel, and lower operational costs. As 2022, following Western countries closing their skies to Russian flights, Russia barred many Western carriers from transiting its airspace. However, Chinese airlines have remained exempt from these restrictions.
The Trump administration described this arrangement as “unfair” with “noticeable competitive impacts” on american carriers. It gave Chinese airlines two days to respond to the proposal so far without any public comment from China’s aviation authorities.
