China Agrees to Buy 200 Boeing Jets in First Deal Since Nearly a Decade

Trade disputes between the US and China effectively shut Boeing out of the world's second-largest aviation market for nearly a decade, following a 300-jet deal during Trump's November 2017 Beijing visit. On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced China has agreed to order 200 Boeing jets, marking the country's first purchase of US-made commercial jets in years. Trump confirmed the agreement during a Fox News interview while in Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. However, the 200-jet figure fell well short of the 500-jet deal industry sources had previously discussed. No further details were immediately available, and it remained unclear whether the order covers single-aisle 737 MAX jets or larger twin-aisle 777X or 787 aircraft. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp both accompanied Trump to Beijing. China is projected to need at least 9,000 new jets by 2045.