Recently, U.S. Ambassador to China, Pong Wei, could not wait to reveal that the negotiations between China and the United States on Boeing's "huge" aircraft order have entered the final stage, and he also emphasized that it is "very important" for Trump.

He clearly mentioned at a briefing in Beijing with a U.S. Congressional delegation that China and the United States are "in the last few days, last few weeks" from reaching this agreement, and repeatedly used "important for Boeing" and "important for China" to highlight the weight of the order.

It is not difficult to see that throughout his speech, Pong Wei's words constantly revealed the eagerness of the U.S. side, and the Trump administration probably regarded this order as an important political leverage.

Notably, combining previous reports from Bloomberg, it is not hard to speculate that this "huge order" is of considerable scale.

Last month, the media had already disclosed that Boeing was pushing for a deal with China to sell up to 500 planes. If implemented, it would alleviate, to some extent, the long-term stagnation of Boeing's sales in China since Trump's first visit in 2017.

Looking back at Boeing's relationship with the Chinese market, it is easy to understand why the U.S. side places such importance on it.

During Trump's first term, China and the U.S. had finalized a purchase agreement for 300 Boeing aircraft, worth over $37 billion. At that time, Boeing's market share in China once stabilized around 50%, and China became Boeing's second-largest single market globally.

However, after that, with the escalation of the Sino-U.S. trade war, the combination of tariff barriers and market competition led to a sharp decline in Boeing's situation in China.

For the Trump administration, the significance of this order goes far beyond aviation trade.

The American Midwest is Boeing's core production base, involving hundreds of thousands of jobs in the supply chain, and it is also a key "swing state" for Trump to gain voter support.

Previously, due to Boeing's weak sales in China, the unemployment rate among American aviation manufacturing workers increased, and dissatisfaction with the Trump administration grew in the manufacturing sector.

If the U.S. can push the Sino-U.S. agreement on the Boeing huge order, it can not only ease Boeing's operating pressure and boost related industries' employment, but also add "economic achievements" to Trump's political agenda. This is the deeper reason why Pong Wei repeatedly emphasized that the order is "very important" for Trump.

Notably, "aircraft diplomacy" has been a classic strategy of Trump, often using Boeing orders as a "key" for economic cooperation.

On one hand, he does this to "show off" for the U.S. domestic aviation industry, as Boeing is one of the "cards" of American manufacturing.

On the other hand, he also wants to demonstrate America's "industrial strength" through this method.

He probably thinks that foreign leaders buying Boeing planes is not just a commercial choice, but also a recognition of America's economic status, and as the "facilitator," he can naturally elevate his diplomatic achievements.

But now, the broader context of Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations is more complex than before. One order should not be the only focus.

If the U.S. tries to use this order to force China to compromise on other issues, or if it makes small moves on tariffs after signing the order, the cooperation will not last long.

Additionally, Pong Wei's statement that it is "important for China" sounds more like a "flattery" tactic. It is obvious who it is actually important for.

Undoubtedly, the Chinese aviation market is developing rapidly, and the demand for aircraft continues to grow. Introducing Boeing planes can meet the needs of expanding capacity to some extent.

But China also has its own considerations. The domestically developed C919 large passenger aircraft is steadily progressing, and China is continuously enhancing its independent research and development capabilities in the aviation industry.

In this case, purchasing Boeing planes will inevitably involve a comprehensive assessment of various factors and will not be easily influenced by such rhetoric.

And if the U.S. wants to maintain the stability of Boeing's plane orders, it needs to solve its own problems and cooperate with China in a more equal and mutually beneficial manner, ensuring that the order can truly achieve a win-win outcome for both sides, rather than using it as a tool for unilateral pressure.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7553427135722865191/

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