China has confirmed that it plans to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft and, at the same time, seek an extension of its trade truce with the United States, Reuters reported. The move follows a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, held with the aim of stabilizing relations between the world’s two largest economies.
According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce, Beijing has officially confirmed the planned Boeing aircraft order for the first time, although it did not specify which models are involved. If the agreement is finalized, it would represent Boeing’s first major Chinese deal in almost a decade, following a period in which the U.S. aircraft manufacturer was largely shut out of the world’s second-largest aviation market due to trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Reuters reported that Donald Trump said after the meeting in Beijing that Chinese orders for Boeing aircraft could rise to as many as 750 aircraft. He added that the aircraft would be equipped with GE Aerospace engines.
China’s Ministry of Commerce also said that the United States would provide China with supply guarantees for aircraft engine parts and components under the Boeing agreement. That detail is particularly important in the context of years of supply chain disruptions, as well as trade restrictions that have shaped relations between the two countries.
According to Reuters, Chinese airlines ordered an average of 127 aircraft per year from 2005 to 2017. Since then, due to trade tensions and issues related to the Boeing 737 MAX, the average number of new Chinese orders has fallen to just six aircraft per year.
In addition to the planned aircraft purchase, Beijing and Washington are also seeking reciprocal tariff reductions on goods worth at least USD 30 billion on each side. China’s Ministry of Commerce said that U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods should not exceed the level agreed under an earlier arrangement.
The trade truce between the two countries, reached in Kuala Lumpur before the meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea in October last year, was extended by one year and is currently due to expire in November. The agreement included U.S. tariff reductions on some Chinese products and a temporary pause in new Chinese export restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets, which are crucial for the production of consumer electronics, electric vehicles and defense systems.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters that the Trump administration was “not in a rush” to extend the trade truce, suggesting that negotiations will continue in the coming months. China’s Ministry of Commerce said the two sides would work together to address each other’s concerns over export controls and that Beijing is reviewing export license applications for critical minerals, including rare earths, intended for civilian use.
Agriculture is also part of the broader trade package. The White House previously said that China would purchase at least USD 17 billion worth of U.S. agricultural products from 2026 to 2028, excluding existing soybean commitments. The Chinese statement did not directly confirm that figure, but said the two sides had achieved “positive results” in agriculture and reached agreements on mutual market access.
Although the announced tariff concessions are unlikely by themselves to significantly alter economic forecasts, analysts see them as an important political signal. Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, told Reuters that the move was a positive step, especially if the two countries continue talks and try to stabilize bilateral relations.
For Boeing, the Chinese order, if confirmed and implemented, would carry significant commercial and symbolic value. China has been one of the most important markets for the U.S. manufacturer for decades, but orders have almost dried up in recent years. The new agreement could mark Boeing’s gradual return to a market that, according to long-term industry forecasts, will remain a key driver of global air traffic growth.
