After threatening to block China airline, US allows two weekly flights per week

After threatening to block Chinese passenger flights from June 16, the US modified the ban on Chinese commercial airlines to permit two round-trip flights per week, matching China's directive.

Watch Video:

On Thursday, China's civil aviation authority had cleared Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to operate one international route into China each week amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The US Department of Transportation said:"As a general matter, we are troubled by China's unilateral dictation of the terms of the US-China scheduled passenger air transportation market without respect for the rights of US carriers under the Agreement."

The latest airline spat occurred after China's aviation authority decided to impose a limit on foreign airlines based on their activity as of March 12, since the United States had suspended all flights on that date their cap was set at zero, while Chinese carriers' continued their flights to the US.

The US retaliated by threatening to halt all Chinese passenger flights even as Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the country's aviation authority was making "solemn representations" over the matter.

The latest clash comes as the US and China are locked in a controversy over the virus with the Trump administration blaming China for not warning the world about it earlier.

Both countries were earlier engaged in a bitter trade battle as the US imposed restrictions on China's Huawei and ordered a probe into the actions of Chinese companies listed on American financial markets.

The United States also clashed with China over its national security bill on Hong Kong even as the Xi government said it was an internal matter. The Trump administration decided to withdraw special trade privileges to the former UK colony as the city rose up in protest against the bill.