Chinese Airlines Told to Halt Boeing Orders: What It Means for Both Sides
Photo Credit: The first 737 Max for Air China at Boeing's Seattle Delivery Center. Boeing / Craig Larsen
Skift Take
Chinese enthusiasm for Boeing aircraft has cooled in recent years, but be under no doubt – Boeing needs China and Chinese airlines still need U.S. planes.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon's historic visit to Beijing led to Boeing entering the Chinese market. Fast-forward to 2025, and a very different sort of presidential influence is making headlines.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Chinese airlines have been told not to place new orders with Boeing.
The report also said carriers must seek approval before accepting scheduled deliveries and they shouldn’t buy aircraft-related equipment from U.S. companies. The directive from the Chinese government comes amid heightened trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.
President Donald Trump criticized China’s decision in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. “They just reneged on the big Boeing deal, saying that they will ‘not take possession’ of fully committed to aircraft,” Trump said, referring to a deal signed during his first term.
The economic brinkmanship from both sides is intensifying. Earlier this month, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said: "China will fight until the end if the U.S. side is bent on going down the wrong path."
China is far from alone in navigating new tariffs from
