President Donald Trump on Tuesday (April 15) accused China of reneging on a major aircraft deal with Boeing, following a report that Chinese authorities had ordered domestic airlines to stop accepting new deliveries from the US aerospace company.
“Interestingly, they just reneged on the big Boeing deal, saying that they will ‘not take possession’ of fully committe to aircraft,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without elaborating on the size or specifics of the agreement.
Bloomberg reported that Beijing had instructed its airlines to suspend not only jet deliveries but also purchases of related equipment and parts from American firms, in what appears to be retaliation for escalating US tariffs.
Trump: “China bought only a portion” of trade commitments
In the same post, Trump criticised China for allegedly failing to fulfill its commitments under a previous trade truce brokered during his first term.
“China bought only a portion of what they agreed to buy,” Trump said, referencing the phase one trade deal signed in early 2020. “They had zero respect for the Biden Administration.”
The US president’s remarks underscore his administration’s toughening stance against Beijing as the two largest economies in the world trade fresh blows through tariffs and countermeasures.
Tariffs mount on both sides
Trump escalating the trade war has imposed a sweeping set of tariffs on Chinese goods — raising to 145% levy on China imports, citing economic security and Beijing’s alleged involvement in the fentanyl crisis.
Recently, the Trump administration carved out exemptions for consumer electronics like smartphones and laptops.
Beijing has responded with countermeasures of its own, initially targeting American agricultural exports and later escalating to 125% tariff on a wide range of US goods.
“Farmers are put on the front line”
Trump acknowledged that American farmers are often the first to feel the effects of tariff wars, but pledged strong support.
“Farmers are always put on the Front Line with our adversaries, such as China,” he said.
