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Washington Targets Chinese Flights via Russian Skies Amid Mounting US–China Trade Standoff
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The United States has proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on routes to and from the US, arguing that the practice gives them an unfair competitive edge over American carriers by reducing flight times and fuel costs.
The proposal marks another escalation in the trade standoff between Washington and Beijing and follows China’s decision to tighten export controls on rare earth minerals crucial to US industries, Reuters reported on October 10.
US airlines have long criticized the exemption that allows Chinese carriers to use Russian airspace, as Russia banned most Western airlines from overflights in retaliation for US sanctions imposed after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The US Department of Transportation said the current arrangement was “unfair and has resulted in substantial adverse competitive effects on US air carriers.”
As reported by Reuters, the proposed rule, which does not apply to cargo-only flights, could impact major Chinese airlines, including Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, and Xiamen Airlines. Beijing responded by saying the restrictions were “not conducive to person-to-person exchanges.”
The move comes amid broader US-China tensions over trade, technology, and aviation, even as Boeing negotiates a potential sale of up to 500 aircraft to China, according to Reuters. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet in South Korea later this month, with the flight dispute likely to feature in the discussions.
Earlier, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has no knowledge of any instances in which China supplied Russia with satellite intelligence used for missile strikes on Ukraine, emphasizing that Beijing continues to take what it calls an “objective and fair” stance on the war.
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-24ca8683eb01b729cd8fae98f952003a.jpg "Ukrainian Ratel-S drone equipped with a downed Shahed warhead. (Source: omelyanovi4/Instagram)")
-0158b6b681e3668f470de36aedad9e3c.jpg "Russian Su-24 bomber moments before Ukrainian drone strike, Crimea. (Source: HUR)")
