Quote:
(a) "In late May, the US State Department presented China's Foreign Ministry with a diplomatic note requesting consultations on the matter, but the ministry has since refused it, two sources briefed on the situation told Reuters.
(b) "An official with the State Department confirmed to Reuters that China had rejected its request for talks on June 25, adding that it was 'disappointed' and had maintained close communication with the airlines but had not told them how to respond to Beijing's demands.
" 'US airlines should not be forced to comply with this order,' the State Department official said. 'We have called on China to stop threatening and coercing American companies and citizens.'
"Chinese companies are free to operate their websites without political interference in the United States, the official added.
"China's rebuff has left the US government weighing its next move. The White House convened a staff-level meeting on the issue on Wednesday [June 27], but it is not clear what it plans to do.
(c) "The companies have little incentive to defy Chinese regulations, but compliance could put them at odds with U.S. foreign policy.
"Delta's chief executive, Ed Bastian, said at a forum in Washington on Wednesday that the airline was working with the US government but would not say whether it would comply 9by July 25, the new deadline which China agreed to extend from May 25].
My comment: There is no need to read the rest of this Reuters report.