US Washington State Governor to Lead Boeing Trip to China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, November 30, 2002

US Washington State Governor to Lead Boeing Trip to China

Leaders of the Chinese aviation industry and the US aerospace giant Boeing will celebrate the 30th anniversary of China's first purchase of a Boeing plane.

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Leaders of the Chinese aviation industry and the US aerospace giant Boeing will celebrate the 30th anniversary of China's first purchase of a Boeing plane.

Attending next Tuesday's ceremony in Beijing will include head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Alan Mulally, and special guest Gary Lock, governor of the US Washington State. Speculative reports indicate that other dignitaries invited may include former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.

China bought its first planes from Boeing -- 10 707s -- in September 1972, just seven months after Kissinger accompanied the late US President Richard Nixon on a trip to Beijing that pave the way for the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Boeing Executive Mulally says when China bought the Boeing jet airplanes 30 years ago, it just changed the world for both countries.

He says strong international trade is critically important to the economic vitality of Washington State.

To date, China has ordered 409 Boeing jets and taken delivery of 376 planes. The company predicts China will have the world's fastest-growing aviation market over the next 20 years, expanding 7.6 percent each year.

Boeing officials predict that at least 1,682 commercial jets will be needed by 2021 to accommodate its fast economic growth.

Boeing sold 30 single-aisle 737s to China in October last year, six weeks after the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks. Since then Boeing has pursued an order that would be a mix of narrow-body and wide-body jets, but company officials say this upcoming visit is not part of that sales campaign.

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