en.Wedoany.com Reported - Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is expected to travel to China next week as part of a U.S. trade delegation accompanying President Donald Trump. The American aircraft manufacturer is seeking White House assistance to finalize a long-anticipated aircraft order from Chinese airlines.

Reuters reported on May 7, 2026, that the Trump administration plans to invite the CEOs of Boeing, Nvidia, Apple, ExxonMobil, Qualcomm, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Visa to join the China trip. Qualcomm has confirmed receiving an invitation, while Boeing declined to comment. Trump plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing from May 14 to 15, 2026.

According to reports from U.S. and Chinese media, this potential order package could include up to 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and around 100 wide-body jets. These aircraft are likely to be allocated among multiple Chinese airlines rather than a single carrier, consistent with the pattern of previous Chinese aircraft orders announced through state procurement channels. China has a broad base of Boeing 737 MAX operators, with 13 domestic Chinese airlines operating 97 737 MAX aircraft, among which China Southern Airlines, Air China, and Hainan Airlines are the largest operators.

Ortberg has made it clear that without the help of the Trump administration, Boeing does not expect to secure major orders from China. He told Reuters in April 2026: "Without government support, I don't think we will see large orders from China in the near term. This is really something that goes hand-in-hand with government efforts."

China has not placed a major Boeing order since 2017. The last large Chinese order for Boeing was during Trump's first term, when Boeing and China Aviation Supplies Holding Company announced orders and commitments for 300 aircraft during Trump's state visit to Beijing in November 2017, valued at more than $37 billion at list prices.

Factors such as ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions, export controls, and the impact of the Iran war continue to create uncertainty around the deal. Any aircraft order would require agreement among Boeing, Chinese airlines, Chinese government officials, and the Trump administration.

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