China on Wednesday confirmed it will buy 200 new aircraft from Boeing, its first order with the company in almost 10 years.
President Donald Trump announced the deal last week during his state visit to China, but Chinese officials did not acknowledge the order until Wednesday morning, when the country’s commerce ministry released a statement on trade talks with Washington.
The new aircraft will help China meet “its own needs for air transport development,” the statement said.
The ministry did not say which aircraft type or types China will buy.
The 200-unit purchase falls well short of Wall Street expectations. Analysts had expected Boeing to secure an order of around 500 jets during Trump’s visit, given that CEO Kelly Ortberg was traveling with the president.
Trump later told reporters that Beijing could expand the deal to 750 aircraft under the right conditions.
Boeing has not commented on the order.
