China confirms order for 200 Boeing planes, calls aviation key area for U.S. cooperation

CHONGQING, China — China’s Commerce Ministry on Wednesday confirmed an agreement to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft, as well as engines and spare parts.

A Commerce Ministry official said aviation was key to deepening cooperation between China and the U.S.

“In accordance with the important consensus reached by the Chinese and U.S. leaders, China’s aviation industry will introduce 200 Boeing aircraft based on commercial principles and its own needs for air transport development,” the official said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News last week that China would purchase 200 Boeing airplanes. While the figure was less than half of what analysts had expected, it marked the first major Chinese order for the aircraft since 2017.

Boeing, which manufactures most of its commercial aircraft in Seattle, could receive additional orders from Chinese airlines in the future, a Washington state commerce official told CNBC on Tuesday.

“Boeing has a lot of demand, a little bit of a waitlist, so I believe that it’s only logical to me that there would be more orders in the future,” said Andrea Chartock, assistant director, Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness at the Washington State Department of Commerce.

“We are very happy to hear about this announcement,” Chartock told CNBC on Tuesday. The state has “a whole industry around Boeing” with suppliers ranging from space to satellites, she noted.

China’s civil aviation regulator said Sunday it met with Boeing CEO Kelly Orthberg a few days earlier. The executive was part of Trump’s delegation to China.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.