In an exclusive sit-down with Sean Hannity, President Donald Trump announced that President Xi Jinping is committed to buying 200 Boeing airplanes, which will boost American manufacturing.
President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to order 200 Boeing jets during their high-level meeting in Beijing.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump described his talks with the Chinese leader as very positive and said the aircraft commitment exceeded Boeing’s expectations.
“One thing [Xi] agreed today: he will order 200 jets. That’s a big thing. Boeing – 200 large. That’s a lot of work. There is a lot. “Boeing wanted 150, they got 200,” said Trump.
Terms of the deal, including delivery times and aircraft types, were not immediately disclosed.
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President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Kenny HOLSTON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump arrived in China on Wednesday along with a delegation of top American business leaders for meetings with Chinese officials and managers. The trip marks Trump’s first trip to the country since 2017 and comes amid heightened tensions over trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the escalating war with Iran.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was among those executives and recently said the trip represented a “meaningful opportunity” for the aviation giant.
Although Ortberg declined to specify the number of planes being discussed during a recent analyst call, he said he is “very confident” that if Trump reaches a deal with Xi, the deal “will include aircraft orders.”
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Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on manufacturing quality issues on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Bloomberg previously reported that China was considering buying up to 500 Boeing 737 Max planes to meet the growing demand for the planes.
Boeing shares fell more than 4% in Thursday trading after the reported order value fell short of analysts’ expectations, according to Reuters.
China last announced a major Boeing purchase during Trump’s visit to Beijing in 2017, agreeing to buy 300 planes from the American manufacturer, the report said.
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Members of the US delegation and CEOs from various industries stand before a welcoming ceremony for US President Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026, in Beijing, China. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Boeing and European rival Airbus have been competing fiercely for aircraft sales in China, one of the world’s largest aircraft markets.
Other executives accompanying the American delegation include Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Citi CEO Jane Fraser and Cargill CEO Brian Sikes.
Reuters, Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Efrat Lachter, and FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.
