Trump claims China agreed to purchase 200 Boeing jets amid Beijing summit

US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Thursday that China has agreed to purchase 200 Boeing jets, a claim made during an interview aired while he is in Beijing for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The statement marks the first visit by a US president to China since 2017 and comes as leaders navigate complex discussions on trade, artificial intelligence, and regional security.

The assertion regarding the aircraft order has not been independently verified by Boeing or Chinese authorities. The source material indicates that the claim originates solely from Trump’s comments to the network, with no official confirmation of a firm commercial transaction, memorandum of understanding, or specific delivery timeline provided by the manufacturers or government bodies.

The announcement arrived against a backdrop of positive sentiment in US equity markets. On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.8 per cent, the S&P 500 rose 0.3 per cent, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.2 per cent. Additionally, Nvidia shares surged more than 2 per cent following news that the US had approved H200 chip sales to Chinese firms.

Beyond commercial aviation, the summit has addressed broader geopolitical issues. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that China will engage in behind-the-scenes efforts to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The leaders concluded their initial talks with a joint statement affirming their engagement on these critical economic and security fronts.

The broader agenda of the summit includes managing tensions regarding Iran and establishing frameworks for technology cooperation. As the two-day meeting continues, the aviation claim stands as one of several high-profile assertions made by the US president, though its commercial validity remains unconfirmed by external sources.