US lawmaker wants Trump to restrict Chinese flights over rare earths access
By David Shepardson
Washington (Reuters) -The President of the US House of Representatives Committee on Thursday, unless Beijing did not restore full access to rare lands and magnets, called the Trump administration to restrict or suspend China airline in the United States.
Republican representative John Molenaar said that the US should review the export control policies that regulate the sale of commercial aircraft, parts and maintenance services to China.
“These steps would send a clear message to Beijing that he could not drown critical materials to our defense industries without causing his own strategic sectors to Beijing.” He said.
Rare soils are a group of 17 elements used from lasers and military equipment to electrical vehicles, wind turbines and consumer electronics. China is sensitive to its control over rare lands and supply, in April, it adds several rare soil elements and magnets to the export restriction list as retaliation for US tariff increases.
Considering the permanent low demand between the two countries, the US airlines fly only one percentage of flights to China.
Reports show that China is considering buying up to 500 Boeing planes as part of trade talks with the United States.
On Wednesday, the US transport department, United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines approved a six -month extension that allowed only 48 total flight to fly per week. Chinese carriers fly a number equivalent to the USA
A group representing US carriers refused to make comments. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not comment immediately.
Last year, the Great US Airlines and aviation unions called for former President Joe Biden’s administration to pause the approval of additional flights between China and the United States and referred to the ongoing “Chinese government’s anti -competitive policies”.
Flights between China and the United States were a point of discussion during Covid-19 pandemia.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Leslie Adler and Editing by David Gregorio)
