US lawmakers push for landmark Boeing jet deal during rare China visit

A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers visited Beijing to finalize a major deal for China to purchase Boeing commercial aircraft.

The delegation will reportedly confirm the high-level discussions for the potential agreement that can involve the sale of as many as 500 jets.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the meeting to confirm the sales of commercial Boeing crafts.

It was the first visit of an American delegation to the country since 2019, indicating a two-way effort to stabilize the relationship between the two largest economies in the world.

At a press conference, the chief representative of the delegation Adam Smith (D-WA) said that the deal is a priority.

“It's been a while since Boeing airplanes have been sold here in China. We'd like to get that deal done," said Smith, when asked about the deal. "It's a good company, good product, hope you get back to selling airplanes in China.”

US Ambassador to China, David Purdue, stated that the talks were in their final days or weeks, and that the deal was very significant to the President. Such a transaction will be a decisive move in the right direction for Boeing, whose presence in the key market of China has remained stagnant for years due to a series of trade conflicts and geopolitical tensions.

The negotiations are one of the crucial commercial outcomes of the recent diplomatic interactions that followed a discussion between the two presidents of the two countries on Friday, September 19.

Although the elected officials also had the issue of sensitive security at heart, the push for the Boeing sale highlights a common concern in economic bridge-building.

The result of these talks will be a significant challenge to the effectiveness of both parties in converting diplomatic talk into meaningful trade deals.