Boeing confirms major China aircraft deal that could expand by 750 more jets

Boeing said on Friday that China committed to purchasing 200 aircraft during US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, with the agreement potentially paving the way for orders involving another 750 planes.

The aerospace company described the trip as a success, saying the visit helped reopen the Chinese market for Boeing aircraft orders after years of disruptions linked to trade tensions and regulatory issues.

“We had a very successful trip to China and accomplished our major goal of reopening the China market to orders for Boeing aircraft,” Boeing said in a statement. The company added, “This included an initial commitment for 200 aircraft and we expect further commitments will follow after this initial tranche.”

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Trump signals possibility of larger aircraft order

During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Trump said China intended to order “200 big ones”. “I think it was a commitment,” Trump said. "Those are a lot of jobs.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from China, the President said the agreement also included “a promise of 750 planes, which will be by far the largest order ever, if they do a good job with the 200.”

US media reports over recent months have suggested Beijing was preparing a major Boeing order involving 500 single-aisle 737 MAX aircraft and about 100 larger 787 Dreamliners and 777s.

Boeing eyes growing Asian demand

Boeing thanked the Trump administration “for making this milestone happen", adding, “We now look forward to continually addressing China's aircraft demand.”

In its latest 20-year commercial aviation outlook released in June last year, Boeing estimated that 44,000 aircraft would be built globally by 2044 to replace existing fleets and meet rising demand.

The company said roughly half of that demand would come from China, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Boeing’s main competitor in the global market remains Europe’s Airbus.

Boeing’s ties with China faced years of disruption. China’s last major Boeing order came in 2017 during Trump’s first term in office, when Beijing purchased 300 single-aisle and wide-body aircraft in a deal valued at $37 billion.

Relations between Boeing and China later deteriorated following the grounding of the 737 MAX after fatal crashes involving Lion Air in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines in 2019, which together killed 346 people.

The 737 MAX fleet was grounded globally for 20 months. Flights resumed in the United States in November 2020 and in Europe in January 2021, while China only cleared the aircraft to return in 2023. In 2019, Beijing suspended all Boeing aircraft deliveries. Chinese authorities later approved deliveries of 787 Dreamliners in December 2023 and 737 MAX aircraft a month later.

Deliveries were again briefly halted in mid-2024 because of a lithium battery issue affecting several models.

Trade truce reopened Chinese market for Boeing

Boeing was also affected by the tariff dispute that followed Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. China responded by preventing domestic companies from ordering Boeing aircraft or accepting jets that had already been purchased.

The two countries later reached a trade truce, allowing Boeing to resume regular business activity with Chinese customers.

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