New escalation in the quarrel between Washington and Beijing. The administration of Donald Trump will temporarily ban, from June 16, flights of Chinese airlines to and from the United States.

The ban aims to respond to the Chinese authorities' refusal to allow American airlines to resume operations in China despite the deconfinement, the Ministry of Transport (DoT) announced on Wednesday. It is not excluded that the implementation of this measure will take place before June 16 if President Donald Trump so decides.

The ban affects seven Chinese companies, including the behemoths Air China and China Eastern Airlines, but does not affect cargo planes.

"Violation"

"The American airlines have asked to resume service (in China), from June 1. The failure of the Chinese government to approve their requests is a violation of the air transport agreement between the two countries since 1980, said the US department.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines suspended flights to and from China in February and March due to the Covid-19 pandemic and to comply with travel restrictions announced in early February by the United States government.

They wanted to resume activity in the country this month and had therefore submitted their requests to the Chinese civil aviation authorities in May. The latter have still not given the green light. Beijing on the other hand authorized in March the local airline companies to operate a flight per week since and towards a foreign country, a limitation aiming to contain the propagation of the virus.

Hailed announcement

Currently, four Chinese airlines operate flights between the United States and China against zero for American groups, according to the DoT, which claims that some operate charter flights in order to circumvent the limitation of one flight per week and increase their competitive advantage.

The American reprisals have been welcomed by local companies, Airlines for America, the sector's pressure group, seeing it as a means of ensuring "fairness" and healthy competition.

"We will be happy to resume service between the United States and China when the regulatory environment allows it," said United, while Delta applauded measures to "uphold our rights and guarantee equity ".

Waiting for a gesture from Beijing?

Washington nevertheless said Wednesday ready to reverse its decision if Beijing made a gesture vis-à-vis the American groups. "Our main goal is not to perpetuate this situation but to improve things so that carriers on both sides can fully exercise their bilateral rights," said the American authorities.

They ensure that if the CAAC, the Chinese air regulator, adjusted its policy towards American airlines, Washington would be "completely prepared to reconsider its decision".

Sino-US relations have recently been soured, with the proliferation of apples of contention, the latest and the hottest of which concerns Hong Kong.

With AFP

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