The United States House of Representatives’ Special Committee on China’s Chairman, John Moolenaar, sent a letter to President Trump on Thursday, September 18, urging him to consider banning or restricting Chinese airlines from landing in the U.S. before his call with Xi Jinping, tightening aviation investment and export controls as a way to pressure Beijing to lift export restrictions on rare earths and magnetic materials.
Moolenaar affirmed President Trump’s leadership in weakening the Russian economy, imposing tariffs on China, and increasing the U.S. critical mineral supply chain. He suggested Trump take further actions to enhance bargaining power with China.
“I believe that taking complementary actions can further strengthen your bargaining power with Beijing. Despite China’s public commitments to relax restrictions, they continue to suppress exports of rare earths and magnetic materials to the U.S. and its allies – especially for industries crucial to national defense and advanced manufacturing.”
Moolenaar recommended Trump first work with the G7, extending to the Quad and NATO partners to collectively take strong measures to counter Beijing’s monopoly on rare earth supplies.
He put forth three specific proposals: (1) Civil aviation landing rights: restrict or suspend Chinese airlines’ rights to land in the U.S. and allied countries unless China restores fully non-discriminatory exports of rare earth materials and magnetic materials. (2) Review export control policies and licenses for the sale of civil aircraft, components, and maintenance services to China. (3) Foreign investment: restrict or prohibit foreign investments in the Chinese aviation industry (including joint ventures and wholly-owned production facilities) and coordinate with major industrial allies like the EU to implement these measures.
The letter stated, “Implementing these measures alone holds substantial significance; pushing them collectively within a group of allies will send a strong message to China – that it cannot sever critical supplies needed by the U.S. defense industry without jeopardizing its strategic industries. This approach can also bolster your strategy towards Russia, expand allied unity, and gain real leverage in negotiations with Beijing.”
He pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party views supply chains as weapons to exert economic and political pressure on other countries, especially targeting the U.S. and its allies. Materials and equipment involving security-sensitive industries (such as defense and high-tech sectors) go through slow and highly intrusive export license review processes by China and are frequently outright denied. He emphasized that this is not incidental but a deliberate restriction of supply, a common tactic by the Communist Party to coerce other countries through economic and trade means.
Moolenaar criticized that over a decade ago, China lost several times in World Trade Organization disputes due to export restrictions on key materials, yet to date, it still delays export permits or outright rejects authorization to try and force other countries to accept its conditions.
Due to continued low demand for travel between the U.S. and China, American airlines are currently operating only approved flights. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved a six-month extension of flight arrangements on Wednesday, September 17, allowing United, American, and Delta Airlines to fly 48 weekly flights to China, matching the number of flights by Chinese airlines to the U.S.
Last year, U.S. airlines and aviation unions requested the Biden administration to halt approving additional U.S.-China flights, citing China’s ongoing policies unfavorable to the U.S. airline industry.