Published May 15, 2026
US President Donald Trump said China has agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets, and the order could grow to up to 750 jets, adding that the planes would be powered by GE Aerospace engines.
President Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday that the deal includes “about 200 aircraft, with a commitment to deploy up to 750 if things go well.” Details about the deal, including what type of jet was ordered and when it would be delivered, were not immediately available.
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Neither the Chinese government nor Boeing have issued a statement confirming the deal, but it would be a key breakthrough in a market that was once central to the long-term growth of the U.S. aerospace company and from which the U.S. planemaker had been largely shut out amid trade tensions between China and Washington. Airplane manufacturers typically disclose when a major deal is officially closed.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was one of a number of U.S. CEOs who joined President Trump during his visit to Beijing to seek sales of products and services to China.
It was not immediately clear how many of the 200 planes Trump announced represented new business for Boeing or planes already on its backlog.
In the past, Beijing has bundled new orders with repeat announcements when announcing trade packages for diplomatic visits by U.S. and European leaders, people familiar with China’s purchasing patterns said.
For China, such a large order will ensure its ability to continue growing its aviation market, even as production of its domestic COMAC C919 narrowbody aircraft falls short of ambitious targets.
It would also help Boeing close the gap with rival Airbus, which has enjoyed a significant lead in China in recent years.
Aviation information and advisory firm IBA estimates that the order for 200 planes would be worth about $17 billion to $19 billion, assuming 80% of the configuration is made up of MAX jets.
“However, this figure could rise to $25 billion if a larger proportion of the total orders (about 40%) are announced for wide-body aircraft,” IBA’s Samuel Kenekyelo said.
The deal would be a long-awaited victory for President Trump. President Trump has so far failed to significantly reduce the large U.S. trade deficit with aggressive tariffs and other trade policies.
An order for more than 500 planes would be the largest in aviation history, surpassing IndiGo’s contract for 500 Airbus narrowbody jets, but China’s purchases are likely to be split among the three major national carriers.
Order size lower than expected
Shares of the U.S. aircraft maker fell nearly 4% Thursday after President Trump told the Fox News Channel that China had agreed to buy 200 jets, which was well below analysts’ expectations. It fell about 2.6% on Friday, and GE Aerospace stock also fell 2%.
Boeing is initially negotiating for at least 500 narrow-body jets for the Beijing summit, with dozens of wide-body jets and potentially up to 200 to follow at a later date, industry sources said.
President Trump said Xi would return to Washington in September and suggested the country could be the focus of the next part of a potential aircraft order.
But Li Hanming, an independent expert on China’s aviation industry, said concerns about after-sale support were weighing on purchasing decisions.
“The reason China won’t buy is very simple. No one wants to buy a product that doesn’t have guaranteed after-sale maintenance and support. Last May, the US was still threatening export restrictions on parts. Who would dare buy Boeing if they imposed an embargo on such parts?”
Wendy Cutler, senior vice president at the Asia Social Policy Research Institute and former deputy US trade representative, told Al Jazeera in emailed comments: “What we are hoping for, and so far we have not seen, is not just confirmation of a jet purchase by China, but also other large purchases by China, particularly in agriculture and energy.”
The two countries also did not agree to extend the trade ceasefire, which expires in five months, he noted.
“All of these issues appear to be still on the table, and there may be further announcements in the coming days. Absent further economic announcements, it is reasonable to conclude that this summit was heavy in tone and light in content,” Cutler said.
