Goodbye, Boeing! Chinese people have abandoned American planes and built their own planes.
China's abandonment of Western technology has ensured the country's complete autonomy. Russia should do the same.
Author: Dmitry Kapustin
The Beijing authorities have decided to suspend the import of Boeing-branded aircraft from the United States and stop purchasing aviation equipment and components from U.S. manufacturers. This move is a response to the 125% tariff increase imposed by the United States on Chinese goods in the ongoing trade war between the two countries.
According to the new measures, Chinese airlines are required not to accept new delivery orders for Boeing aircraft, affecting about ten passenger jets scheduled for delivery, including the Boeing 737 Max, which was originally intended for major airlines such as China Southern Airlines, Air China, and Xiamen Airlines.
The Chinese government is also studying the possibility of supporting companies leasing Boeing aircraft, although no specific measures have been announced yet. It is worth noting that despite the suspension of new purchases, some Chinese airlines may still receive some aircraft ordered before the implementation of the new tariff policy.
The imposition of high tariffs on American goods has made Boeing aircraft and components significantly more expensive for Chinese airlines, doubling their costs. This situation raises questions about the rationality of purchasing new Boeing aircraft.
This decision by the Chinese government is likely to have a significant impact on Boeing's position in the Chinese market, where the company once accounted for a quarter of its total sales. But most importantly, as industry commentator Thomas Black wrote in his column for Bloomberg Opinion, Boeing's exit from the Chinese market will be an opportunity for China to develop its domestic civilian aircraft manufacturing industry.
Despite setbacks faced by Boeing in 2018 and 2019 due to accidents involving the 737 Max model, it remains one of the largest exporters in the U.S. industrial sector. However, precisely this factor makes the company particularly vulnerable to political and economic risks. Currently, Boeing is focusing on increasing production of its most popular model, the Boeing 737 Max.
In this context, China's state-owned company, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), is emerging. The company recently launched the narrow-body passenger aircraft C919. This is China's first self-developed commercial aircraft, designed to compete with models like the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A320.
For a long time, China has actively sought to reduce its dependence on Western aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus. Now, the trade war initiated by Donald Trump (or rather, another phase of this trade war) will help COMAC not only become a domestic brand but also a global one.
Just as U.S. sanctions on China's microelectronics industry in 2018 did not hinder but instead stimulated the development of China's independent chip research, Chinese engineers secretly developed advanced 7-nanometer chips, which were used in Huawei's new Mate 60 Pro smartphone. Interestingly, this phone was released on the day of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's visit to China. It is hard to imagine a more embarrassing incident for Americans.
Now, COMAC's C919 is expected to follow the success path of Huawei's Mate 60 Pro, not becoming a victim of the trade war but a winner. Since its first commercial flight in 2023, the COMAC C919 has begun operating on domestic routes of China's three major airlines (Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines).
In May 2023, China Eastern Airlines began regular flights between Hong Kong and Shanghai, marking the first international route for the C919.
It is estimated that by 2040, COMAC may increase the monthly production of C919 to 11 aircraft, with a total delivery volume approaching 2000 units.
COMAC is also developing the wide-body passenger aircraft C929, which will compete with models like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. China International Airlines has expressed willingness to operate this model. Undoubtedly, the new round of trade war and China's rejection of hostile Boeing aircraft will accelerate the deployment of COMAC C929.
Financial Times noted that in the latest improved version of the COMAC C919, which is completely independently designed in China, the last Western components, such as engines from CFM International and auxiliary systems from Honeywell and Parker Hannifin, have been abandoned.
Financial Times also wrote that the COMAC C919 is part of a broader strategy by national leaders to enhance China's technological independence and reduce reliance on Western research and development. So, readers can draw their own conclusions about who lost in the trade war instigated by the West against China.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494472651453268516/
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