The US, which on Wednesday commemorated the signing of its 100th open skies air services accord, is eyeing agreements with countries that have yet to sign such pacts, most notably China, Mexico, Russia and the Dominican Republic, according to a State Dept. official.

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Assistant Secretary of State-Economic, Energy and Business Affairs Jose Fernandez said the US is aiming for a new round of air services talks with China this summer. "We hope to have the next round of open skies negotiations with the Chinese in August," he stated. "The numbers are very promising as to what the economic benefits in local communities could be" if flight restrictions between the US and China were eliminated.

The US and China last signed an air services accord in 2007; the agreement fell short of open skies but did allow for the doubling of passenger flights between the countries from 2007-2012.

The open skies agreement reached with Colombia last year and to be formally signed shortly marks the US's 100th such accord. It first reached an open skies agreement with the Netherlands in 1992. Reaching 100 such pacts is "a real achievement," Fernandez said. "We think that open skies agreements provide real economic benefits for consumers and business."