Robert Besser
05 Apr 2021, 01:35 GMT+10
- Boeing urged the United States to separate its disputes with China over human rights and other issues from its trade relations with Beijing.
- Boeing also cautioned that its European competitor, Airbus, would stand to benefit in the event the U.S. aircraft manufacturer is kept out of China.
- Boeing’s Chinese market share has raised eyebrows and attracted a bevy of questions.
CHICAGO, Illinois: Boeing has urged the United States to separate its disputes with China over human rights and other issues from trade relations with Beijing.
Boeing also cautioned that its European competitor, Airbus, would stand to benefit in the event the U.S. aircraft manufacturer is kept out of China.
“I think politically (China) is more difficult for this administration, and it was for the last administration. But we still have to trade with our largest partner in the world, China,” Calhoun stated at an aviation summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“I am hoping we can sort of separate intellectual property, human rights, and other things from trade and continue to encourage a free trade environment between these two economic juggernauts… We cannot afford to be locked out of that market. Our competitor will jump right in,” Calhoun said.
Boeing and Airbus have been increasing their footprint in the Chinese market, with each one selling some one-quarter of their passenger jets to China, which has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest domestic travel market.
Boeing’s Chinese market share has raised eyebrows and attracted a bevy of questions.
Geopolitical tensions between Beijing and the West have been simmering over what it perceives as repression and violence towards Xinjiang ethnic and religious minorities, and China has cautioned foreign firms to stay out of politics.
