Boeing confirms China will purchase 200 aircraft.

Aerospace manufacturer Boeing announced on Friday that China has committed to purchase 200 aircraft following a visit to Beijing by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement could expand to include an additional 750 planes.

“We had a very successful trip to China and accomplished our major goal of reopening the China market to orders for Boeing aircraft,” the company said in a statement. “This included an initial commitment for 200 aircraft and we expect further commitments will follow after this initial tranche,” Boeing added, without identifying the specific models under discussion.

When asked by AFP to clarify which aircraft were included, Boeing declined to comment. The company thanked the Trump administration for “making this milestone happen” and expressed its intention to continue meeting China’s demand for aircraft.

In its most recent 20‑year outlook for global commercial aviation, released in June of last year, Boeing projected that 44,000 planes would be built worldwide by 2044. This would replace the approximately 21,000 aircraft currently in service and satisfy growing demand. Roughly half of that demand is projected to come from China, South Asia and Southeast Asia, a development that is favorable for Boeing’s chief competitor, Airbus.

– ‘Big’ planes –

China’s last order from Boeing dates back to 2017, when Trump visited Beijing at the start of his first term. That order consisted of 300 single‑aisle and wide‑body aircraft, valued at $37 billion.

On Thursday, Trump stated that China planned to order “200 big ones,” in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. “I think it was a commitment,” the president said. “That’s a lot of jobs.”

While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return flight from China, Trump added that the deal included “a promise of 750 planes, which will be by far the largest order ever, if they do a good job with the 200.”

U.S. media have reported for several months that Beijing is poised to place a significant order from Boeing, potentially comprising 500 single‑aisle 737 MAXs and about 100 larger 787 Dreamliners and 777s.

The largest single‑aircraft order on record was placed by IndiGo, which purchased 500 Airbus A320s.

China was the last country to reauthorize flights for Boeing 737 MAXs after two fatal accidents—Lion Air in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines in March 2019—that claimed 346 lives. The 737 MAX family was grounded worldwide for 20 months following those incidents. It returned to service in the United States in November 2020, in Europe in January 2021, and in China in 2023.

In 2019, Beijing suspended all Boeing deliveries. Four years later, in December 2023, it approved the delivery of 787 Dreamliners, followed by 737 MAXs a month later. Chinese regulators briefly halted deliveries again in mid‑2024 over a lithium‑battery issue affecting several models.

Boeing, the largest U.S. exporter by dollar value, was impacted by the tariff war that began when Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Beijing responded by banning Chinese companies from ordering or receiving Boeing jets. The two economies reached a trade‑war truce late last year, allowing Boeing to resume normal operations with Chinese customers.

As of late last month, Boeing had 6,814 aircraft on order, including 4,371 737 MAXs, with a total estimated value of $600 billion.

AFP

The post Boeing confirms China commitment to buy 200 aircraft appeared first on Vanguard News.