China Plans to Purchase 120 More Airbus Jets

(MENAFN) Chinese President Xi Jinping has signaled intent to purchase up to 120 additional aircraft from European aviation giant Airbus, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Wednesday following high-level talks in Beijing — the latest sign of deepening Europe-China ties as Western leaders distance themselves from Washington's trade posture.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Xi, Merz said the prospective order demonstrates how worthwhile such trips can be, though he declined to disclose the deal's price tag or a timeline for finalization. He stressed that the partnership generated significant synergy and held up the Airbus agreement as proof of the tangible value of high-level diplomatic engagement, adding that additional contracts involving other companies are "in prospect."

During his first official visit to China at the prime ministerial level, Merz also met with Premier Li Qiang. The two sides signed five intergovernmental agreements spanning economic cooperation and agriculture.

Airbus, for which China represents a strategically vital market, already operates a localized assembly line for its A320 aircraft in the northern city of Tianjin. Beijing has long maintained a deliberate equilibrium between Airbus and its American rival Boeing, distributing bulk orders across state-owned carriers. While analysts expect Boeing to gain ground through trade diplomacy under the Trump administration, Airbus's latest move is widely seen as a calculated push to entrench Europe's competitive foothold in the world's largest aviation market.

Merz's visit places him among a growing line of Western leaders making the journey to Beijing at a moment when President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff policies and unilateral diplomatic moves have strained transatlantic relations. King Felipe VI of Spain visited in November, French President Emmanuel Macron followed in December, and leaders from Ireland, Canada, Finland, and the United States have all traveled to Beijing in 2026 — underscoring China's rising diplomatic gravity as a counterweight to Washington.

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