Hopes fade for new Boeing order at US-China summit
Hopes that China will announce a major new order for Boeing aircraft during Thursday’s US-China summit are fading, with attention instead turning to finalising an existing deal for 200 planes.
Boeing is working to complete the agreement announced in May rather than secure additional commitments for hundreds of aircraft, according to people briefed on the negotiations.
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The provisional 200-plane deal followed an earlier summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and marked a potential reopening of the Chinese market to Boeing after years of limited orders.
Ahead of that meeting, Boeing, Chinese and US officials had reportedly discussed a possible agreement covering as many as 500 aircraft.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg later described the smaller 200-plane agreement as an initial group of orders, while emphasising the importance of rebuilding the company’s presence in China.
Expectations had grown that Thursday’s summit could produce another significant aircraft order, but Ortberg recently played down that possibility.
According to the supplied reports, US and Chinese officials are instead focusing on issues including their trade relationship, artificial intelligence safeguards, Taiwan, soybeans and rare earth minerals.
There could still be progress on Boeing’s existing agreement.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said earlier this week that around 140 aircraft orders were in a good position, with another 10 being finalised.
Some details of the May agreement could therefore be announced during the summit if contracts are completed.
China remains a major potential market for both Boeing and European rival Airbus, with the two manufacturers forecasting that the country will require around 9,000 new aircraft by 2045.