President Donald Trump said China has agreed to order 200 Boeing aircraft, a deal that would mark the country’s first major purchase of US-built commercial jets in nearly a decade, but which is still well below estimates ahead of a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump announced the agreement on May 14, 2026, after meeting with President Xi in Beijing. He did not say which aircraft types are included, which Chinese airlines would receive them or when deliveries would begin.
“One thing he agreed to today, he’s going to order 200 jets,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News, referring to Xi. “Boeing wanted 150, they got 200.”
Neither Boeing nor Chinese officials immediately confirmed details of the order. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp were among the US executives who traveled with Trump to China for the talks.
Earlier reports had suggested China could order as many as 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, along with about 100 widebody jets, including 787 Dreamliners and 777X aircraft.
Boeing shares fell sharply after Trump’s comments aired.
A confirmed order would be an important breakthrough for Boeing in China. The manufacturer has not received a major Chinese aircraft order since 2017, when China agreed to buy 300 Boeing aircraft during Trump’s first presidential visit to the country.
Boeing’s position in China weakened during the years that followed. Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, the 737 MAX grounding after two fatal crashes, and later production problems at Boeing helped Airbus expand its share of the Chinese market. Airbus also has a long-established industrial presence in China, including its A320-family final assembly line in Tianjin.
China remains one of the world’s largest commercial aircraft markets. Boeing and Airbus both project that Chinese airlines will need at least 9,000 new jetliners by 2045.
Trump has pushed aircraft purchases as part of broader trade talks with several countries. The possible China order would come as Boeing works to increase 737 MAX output, stabilize its supply chain and rebuild delivery momentum after years of disruption.
