(MENAFN) China has strongly criticized the US government's plan to prohibit Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace on flights to and from America, cautioning that such a move would ultimately damage US business interests.

A media report on Thursday revealed that the Trump administration is pushing to block Chinese carriers from overflying Russia, citing concerns that this access grants Chinese airlines an unfair competitive advantage. The US Department of Transportation claims the current arrangement creates “substantial adverse competitive effects on US air carriers” and has reportedly given Chinese airlines just two days to respond.

At a Friday press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned of the broader consequences: “Barring Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on flights to and from the US would hinder travel and people-to-people exchanges,” he said. “Rather than punishing other countries and passengers around the world, perhaps it’s time the US took a hard look at its own policy and the impact on American businesses.”

Russian airspace is critical for airlines because it offers the shortest routes between Asia, Europe, and North America, leading to reduced flight times, lower fuel consumption, and cost savings.

Since 2022, Moscow has restricted many Western carriers from its skies following Western bans on Russian flights amid the Ukraine conflict escalation. Chinese airlines remain exempt from these restrictions.

This proposal arrives amid escalating US-China tensions. Despite a tentative resolution to the tariff war earlier this year, President Trump on Friday threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, condemning Beijing for what he called “extraordinarily aggressive” new trade curbs. This warning followed China's decision to tighten export controls on rare-earth minerals critical to US technology and defense sectors.

Meanwhile, Moscow anticipates US-Russia air travel could restart by late 2025. Discussions on this topic have taken place in US-mediated Ukraine peace negotiations. In August, Russian Ambassador to the US Aleksandr Darchiev confirmed that efforts to restore flights between the two nations are already in progress.

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