China agrees to order 200 Boeing aircraft during Trump’s Beijing visit

During U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, China has agreed to place an order for 200 Boeing aircraft, AzerNEWS reports.

Donald Trump told Fox News that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to purchase 200 Boeing planes as part of ongoing trade negotiations during Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, along with other business leaders, accompanied Trump on the trip.

Ortberg had previously indicated on Boeing’s quarterly earnings call that a major China order might materialize during the trade summit, noting that it would be "100% dependent on U.S.-China negotiations and relations." U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also suggested that a large Boeing order announcement could come during Trump’s visit, which included meetings with Xi Jinping.

"One thing he agreed to today, he's going to order 200 jets… 200 big ones," Trump said.

Alongside Boeing CEO Ortberg, GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp was part of the U.S. delegation to China, aiming to secure deals and resolve ongoing business disputes in one of the largest commercial aviation markets globally, Reuters wrote.

This deal comes after a long hiatus for Boeing in China. During Trump’s visit in November 2017, Beijing had agreed to purchase 300 aircraft, but subsequent trade tensions between the U.S. and China stalled Boeing’s access to the market, which it had once dominated. Further complications arose following the 737 Max crisis, which included two fatal crashes and grounding of the plane, as well as production delays, giving rival Airbus an opportunity to expand its presence in China.

Image: Greg Baker / AFP