U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2008)

U.S. Department of State

U.S. International Aviation Policy and Challenges

John R. Byerly, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs
Remarks at the 2008 ACI-NA International Aviation Issues Seminar
Washington, DC
December 4, 2008

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Open Skies Policy in Practice

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In commercially significant markets where full liberalization was not yet possible, we've also successfully pursued liberalization, including challenging, often multi-year negotiations with China, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Vietnam.

Open Skies and other major liberalization agreements have yielded new air service between an increasing array of airport pairs:

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• A huge expansion in transpacific flying, including new cargo service to Chinese cities, to Nagoya in Japan, and to Vietnam.

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Other Challenges

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Elsewhere around the globe--be it Hong Kong, South Africa, Egypt, or Israel--we have agreements in place that restrain competition. I'm not sure that we'll see early progress, but the United States stands ready, willing, and able to move ahead and to do so quickly.

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In summary, we find ourselves in a period of enormous change, challenge, and intellectual ferment: the curse, as the Chinese proverb goes, of living in interesting times. But the fact is that challenges offer opportunity. I have the enormous good fortune to participate in exploring new ideas and to have such talented, forward-thinking, and creative colleagues in the endeavor. Thanks for inviting me to today's seminar. I look forward to your comments.

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