With President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping looking on, Boeing and China Aviation Supplies Holding Co. today signed an agreement for the purchase of 300 airplanes valued at more than $37 billion.
The agreement provided a public relations boost to all sides: Trump and Boeing could herald a win for U.S. exports, while Xi could soften China’s image in the minds of the American public and policymakers.
“China is a valued customer and key partner, and we’re proud that Boeing airplanes will be a part of its fleet growth for years to come,” Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement. “Boeing and China have a strong history of working together based on great mutual respect, and these orders build on that foundation.”
But Boeing didn’t say how many of the 260 single-aisle and 40 twin-aisle airplanes were the subject of previous agreements, repackaged for public consumption. Bloomberg News quoted unnamed sources as saying that most of the planes were in fact parts of deals going back to 2013.
