【April 16, 2025 Epoch Times News】The trade war between the United States and China is heating up, with recent reports from foreign media revealing that China has demanded domestic airlines to suspend the acceptance of undelivered Boeing aircraft from the United States. Today (April 16th), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian avoided answering this question, stating that he “is not aware of the situation.” Additionally, the relevant Chinese authorities such as the Ministry of Commerce and the Civil Aviation Administration of China, which had previously met with Boeing’s senior vice president, have not responded to this matter.
During the routine press briefing at the Chinese Foreign Ministry on April 16th, a reporter asked about reports citing sources that China has instructed domestic airlines to suspend the acceptance of undelivered Boeing aircraft from the United States and to stop purchasing any aircraft-related parts and equipment from American companies. Can China confirm this news?
In response, Lin Jian stated that he is not aware of the situation and suggested directing questions regarding the matter to the appropriate Chinese regulatory departments.
According to a report from Bloomberg on April 15th, professional institutions have revealed that Boeing currently has about 10 Boeing 737 Max aircraft ready to be delivered to Chinese operators. Among them, China Southern Airlines, Air China, and Xiamen Airlines each have 2 aircraft. Amid the escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, the Chinese government has requested domestic airlines to temporarily suspend the acceptance of undelivered Boeing aircraft from the United States and halt the purchase of any aircraft-related parts and equipment from American companies.
Sources mentioned that some of the aforementioned 10 Boeing aircraft have already completed delivery and payment before the announcement of the “equivalent tariff” in the U.S., which may allow these aircraft to be delivered. However, Boeing still has a considerable inventory of assembled new aircraft originally intended for Chinese mainland airline operators.
Apart from the three mainland operators mentioned earlier, Juneyao Airlines had planned to receive a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner worth $120 million in three weeks. Still, following the escalation of the U.S.-China trade war, Juneyao Airlines decided to postpone the delivery.
It is reported that under the high tariffs imposed by the U.S. and China on each other, the costs for Chinese airlines to lease Boeing aircraft will significantly increase. Therefore, relevant Chinese authorities are studying response measures, including providing assistance to airlines leasing Boeing aircraft.
After the disclosure of the above information, U.S. President Trump criticized China for violating agreements. He posted on “Truth Social” saying that China “violated a big agreement with Boeing by saying they will not take planes that they have already fully committed to purchasing.”
According to public information from the Chinese government’s official website, Hu Zhenjiang, Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, met with Brendan Nelson, Boeing’s Senior Vice President and Global Group President, in Beijing on March 24th and 25th, respectively. Wang Wentao expressed to Nelson that he hopes Boeing “seize the opportunity to deepen cooperation with the Chinese aviation industry, ensuring safety and quality” to provide more high-quality products and services for Chinese enterprises and consumers.
Wang Wentao also emphasized that “China will steadfastly expand high-level opening to the outside world and continuously optimize the business environment.” As two of the world’s largest economies, China and the U.S. have no future in decoupling and cutting ties. It is hoped that Boeing will play a positive role, continue to maintain the stability and health of the global aviation industry ecosystem, and contribute to the development of Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations.
At that time, Nelson stated that Boeing would continue to fulfill its commitments to the Chinese market, including increasing investment in China.
Since U.S. President Trump launched the global “equivalent tariff” policy on April 2nd, China has continued to retaliate by raising tariffs on U.S. imported products. On April 9th, Trump increased the tariff rate on Chinese imports to 125%, while reducing tariffs on other friendly countries and temporarily suspending them for 90 days.
Beijing’s retaliation has once again escalated by raising tariffs on imported American products to 125%.
On April 15th, the White House emphasized that due to China’s retaliatory actions, their exports to the U.S. now face tariffs as high as 245%.
The latest report from The Wall Street Journal indicated that before the current tariff war with the U.S., the Chinese economy was already facing significant challenges. The bursting of an unprecedented real estate bubble resulted in the evaporation of tens of trillions of dollars in household wealth, impacting consumer confidence and spending. The increasingly heavy debt burden has made it difficult for all levels of government to maintain a balance in revenue and expenditure. The article raised concerns about how much pain and cost the Chinese people are willing to bear.
The article mentioned that overall, the current Chinese economy is much weaker compared to the first term of Trump in 2018. Despite the economic weakness, Xi Jinping has taken a tough stance against the United States because he firmly believes in the concept of “rising in the East and falling in the West.”
The article concluded that despite not having the economic upper hand, Xi Jinping is prepared to engage in a prolonged battle with the U.S. that far exceeds trade impacts.