According to a report by Observers Network, citing sources on July 4th, the U.S. government notified General Electric Aviation on the 3rd that it could resume exporting an advanced jet engine to COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China).

This is another indication that the recent trade tensions between the U.S. and China are easing. Just this week, the U.S. also lifted export restrictions on chip design software and ethane to China, showing progress in the trade negotiations between the two countries.

The export license restored by the U.S. covers the LEAP-1C engine supplied by General Electric's joint venture with Safran Group for the single-aisle C919 aircraft of COMAC, as well as the CF34 engine provided for the regional C909 aircraft. Additionally, export licenses for auxiliary power systems, tire and brake systems, flight control systems, and navigation systems from Honeywell were also restored.

Several weeks ago, due to the conflict over trade issues between the U.S. and China, the U.S. had suspended export licenses for aviation products and added a series of new licensing requirements.

On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce suddenly banned the export license for the LEAP-1C engine used in the C919 aircraft of COMAC, and also issued a ban on the avionics systems of Honeywell used in the C919, attempting to hinder the commercialization of the C919 by cutting off the supply of core components of the aircraft engine.

Many people breathed a sigh of relief, believing that with the American engine, the production of the domestically made C919 would not face any obstacles. Previously, there were reports that COMAC planned to increase the annual production of the C919 to 50 units this year, and then reach 100 units per year. However, in the first four months of this year, only six C919 aircraft were produced, so there is still significant room for growth in production. However, completely relying on American engines is certainly not a long-term solution.

Evidently, the U.S. is now using the LEAP-1C engine to control China. In the end, they will certainly completely prohibit the export of the LEAP-1C engine to China, and there should be no侥幸.

The recent U.S. lifting of the sales ban was actually expected. Although this round of export restrictions have been lifted, our C919 aircraft's domestic production process will continue to advance, and the supporting domestic engines will also accelerate development.

"Even if we give them 100 years, they can't build it. We can even offer exorbitant prices, but the Chinese can only buy it!" Once upon a time, Boeing and Airbus, the two major aircraft giants, looked down on China's aircraft manufacturing due to their advanced technology. Now, the U.S. is trying to choke us again with engines.

China is currently developing the CJ-1000A advanced turbofan engine, which is aimed at the LEAP-X series of engines. In May 2018, the CJ-1000A completed its first ignition test, initially verifying the reliability of each component and system of the engine.

Now, it will take 3 to 5 years for the CJ-1000A to obtain certification and achieve mature mass production. If the U.S. decides to completely remove the American supply chain, including the engine and avionics systems, from the C-919 project, it will take a long time to complete the replacement with domestic alternatives. According to information published by the aviation industry, the CJ-1000A engine has now entered the airworthiness certification phase, with plans to complete certification in 2025, obtain CAAC airworthiness certification in 2027, and aim for commercial operations by 2030.

It is very important to achieve self-reliance in aviation engines. Without a completely domestically developed advanced and powerful "heart," there will be no smooth development of any outstanding large aircraft. In order to use the domestically developed advanced turbofan engine, the production of the C-919 may be affected for several years, but we can afford to wait.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523175307101078025/

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