China Eases Ban On Foreign Flights After US Counter Order

Beijing/Washington: China on Thursday said it will ease the ban on inbound flights by foreign airlines from June 8.

The statement by the Chinese aviation regulator came a day after the US issued an order to stop Chinese airlines from flying passengers to America.

“Foreign airlines excluded from an earlier plan for inbound flights can operate one international commercial passenger flight to China every week starting Monday,” the Civil Aviation Administration of China said, according to a report by The Print. The announcement, however, didn’t name any countries.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US Department of Transportation said it is barring passenger flights from China from June 16, in the latest sign of tensions between the two economic giants.

The department added it is punishing Beijing for refusing to let US airlines resume flights to China as its coronavirus pandemic subsides, BBC reported.

In recent weeks, USA and China have sparred over coronavirus and Beijing’s policies in Hong Kong.