WASHINGTON : The Trump administration on Wednesday issued an order suspending passenger flights from China-based airlines, saying it was retaliation for Beijing barring American carriers from re-entering that market, in a continued escalation of tensions between the two nations.
The order goes into effect June 16 but President Donald Trump can act sooner if he so chooses, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.
The move is the latest in an escalation of tensions between the U.S. and China, which has included disputes over trade, the coronavirus pandemic and the treatment of Hong Kong.
On Friday, Trump said that the US would “begin the process" of eliminating the policy exemptions that allow America to treat Hong Kong