Divya Delhi: China strongly opposes Washington's proposal to ban its airlines from using Russian airspace on US-Russia flights, saying it will hurt global travel and personal connections. A representative for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said banning Chinese carriers from flying over Russia to the US would “undermine international travel and people-to-people exchanges.” The Ministry urged the Trump administration to “take a hard look at its own policy and its impact on American businesses” in reference to the US's hefty tariffs. “Rather than punishing other countries and passengers around the world, perhaps it's time the US took a hard look at its own policy and the impact on American businesses,” the ministry said. , Citing Reuters, the Trump administration suggested prohibiting Chinese aircraft from utilizing Russian airspace  , alleging that shorter flights offer them a “unfair” edge over American carriers. The US Transportation Department suggested this after many American airlines raised the issue, as US airlines have had to take longer and more expensive routes around Russia, while Chinese carriers use shorter routes to offer faster and cheaper flights on major routes. After Western sanctions for invading Ukraine, Russia banned US and European airlines from its airspace. Russia is the quickest route connecting Asia, Europe, and North America, with reduced fuel and operating costs.