Trump criticizes China for stopping buying Boeing planes

President Donald Trump has criticized China for its troubles with Boeing. The 50 planes that were scheduled to be delivered to Beijing this year are unlikely to be delivered.

According to Reuters, President Donald Trump criticized China for pulling out of a deal to buy new Boeing planes. The US president said that China’s refusal to accept completed planes was a small example of what the country has done to the US over the years.

“Boeing should declare China in violation of its commitment for not taking delivery of the planes Beijing promised to buy,” Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social.

In addition, according to Trump, fentanyl is still flowing into the US from Mexico and Canada and China must be held responsible. “It better stop immediately,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s comments came after Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg recently said that China had stopped accepting completed aircraft from the company due to tariffs. “They’ve actually stopped taking planes because of the tariff environment,” Ortberg said. The Boeing CEO also said that the 50 planes the company was planning to deliver to China this year likely won’t be delivered.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Photo: Reuters).

According to The Hill, the US President’s social media statements are in complete contrast to his recent soft stance on trade.

Previously, President Trump admitted that the 145% import tax imposed on Chinese-origin goods was very high, while affirming that he had a great relationship with Beijing, especially Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China is currently one of Boeing’s largest aircraft markets. In 2018, nearly a quarter of Boeing’s production was exported to this billion-people market.

Boeing still has inventory of aircraft originally manufactured for Chinese airlines. The company warned that escalating trade tensions could further damage the supply chain, which has been heavily affected by the pandemic and is only just beginning to recover.