The frequency of air links between France and China is at the heart of a real showdown. Beijing castigated Tuesday the decision of Paris to limit to one per week Chinese flights to France, in the name of reciprocity vis-à-vis Air France.
China reopened on June 8
For fear of the arrival of new Covid-19 patients, China had drastically reduced its air links with the rest of the world at the end of March. The country authorizes however since June 8 several foreign companies, of which Air France, to assure a weekly connection since and towards its territory.
Since China has three major companies flying internationally (Air China, China Eastern, China Southern), the latter have so far each been able to fly one China-France flight per week, or three in total. But this number is not to Paris's taste until Air France obtains the same rights. The only French company going to China must, according to France, have three weekly connections.
Faced with the supposed slowness of the procedures, France therefore decided to take a retaliatory measure: limit to a weekly air link the service of French territory by Chinese companies. "The unilateral decision by the French side to reduce flights is damaging to Chinese airlines and the populations of the two countries," said the Chinese Embassy in France on Tuesday.
Paris would have ruined everything
Above all, according to the Chinese Embassy, Air France's request was in the process of being accepted. And Paris's "unilateral" decision would have ruined everything. "While the authorities in Shanghai [had] already authorized the second weekly flight by Air France Paris-Shanghai and there were [only] the formalities which are being finalized at the level of the Chinese central government, it is incomprehensible that the French side decides to impose the reduction of the flights of the Chinese airline companies ”, affirms the embassy.
Will this dossier have repercussions on bilateral relations? China seems ready for economic confrontation. The Embassy on this point is indeed more ambiguous. "Although the issue of thefts only concerns a specific sector, it could damage the friendly atmosphere between the two countries if it is not adequately resolved." Paris is therefore warned.
Bordeaux
In Bordeaux, the Air France air shuttle to Paris-Orly will certainly not depart
Economy
A large Air France intersyndicale asks to be received by the government
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