China-US aviation negotiations crash and burn over access issues

Negotiations to raise caps on flights between China and the United States have fallen apart over the latter’s fears that its airlines would receive unfavorable time slots for take-offs and arrivals compared to local rivals, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. In exploratory talks held in May in Washington, details of which have not previously been reported, China offered to permit more flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou while lowering caps for other domestic cities, US officials said. The officials said the first talks in four years on the matter ended with the US side refusing to pursue formal negotiations until China presents plans to reform what American officials labeled an opaque allocation system that tends to give big Chinese state carriers the best time slots.