Beijing’s Olive Branch: Boeing In Talks On 500-Jet Mega Deal

With the tariff trade truce extended to November 10, U.S. and Chinese negotiators are working toward a trade deal ahead of a possible meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping later this year. Key issues include the flow of critical Chinese rare earth minerals to the U.S. and Beijing’s access to advanced Nvidia chips for its AI firms.

Now, a well-calculated olive branch from Beijing appears to have surfaced: a Bloomberg report indicates Boeing is in discussions to sell 500 commercial jets to Chinese airlines, signaling China’s willingness to deal. 

The report is based on sources familiar with the potential transaction that is still being worked out. The “mega sale”, as described by Bloomberg journalists, has been “years in the making, is contingent on the two nations diffusing the trade hostilities that hark back to Trump’s first term in office — and could still fall apart.” 

People familiar with the deal say Chinese officials have already begun talks with domestic airlines about how many Boeing jets will be needed to expand their fleets. The report did not specify which models, whether single-aisle or widebody.

This potential aircraft order appears to be part of Beijing’s bargaining chips with Washington and will likely be at the center of any trade agreement. 

The Biden-Harris regime made no proper attempts to ensure Boeing orders to China would ramp back to pre-2019 levels. 

China is the world’s second-largest aviation market, primarily relying on Airbus and Boeing jets. It is expected to double its commercial fleet to nearly 10,000 aircraft over the next two decades.

Bloomberg’s news story sent Boeing shares up as much as 3.7% in premarket trading. The stock has been stuck in a 5.5-year channel following the twin 737 Max crashes, other aircraft setbacks, and investor pessimism fueled by toxic DEI initiatives on jet production lines.  

The timing of this report suggests China is using aircraft orders as bargaining chips ahead of Trump-Xi talks.