Boeing announced several agreements on Thursday to broaden and deepen the mutually beneficial partnership between the US-based aircraft manufacturer and China's aviation industry.
The deals including an initial contract between Boeing and Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co for the latter to deliver aerospace-grade aluminum plates for Boeing aircraft.
Boeing Tianjin Composites Co, the largest aerospace supplier in Tianjin, won five new work packages for Boeing Commercial Airplanes: the 777X Fuel Tank Access Door, 787 Horizontal Stabilizer Panels, 777 Radome and 737 Radome and Aileron Tab.
Boeing Tianjin Composites has awarded a contract to Shenyang XIZI Aviation Industry to produce 737 Flight Deck Interior Composite Panels. XIZI will become the first private aviation company in China to serve as a Boeing sub-tier supplier, upon completion of qualification.
"We regard each Chinese aviation industry company as a partner, not a supplier," Ian Chang, vice president of China Operations and Business Development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told the Global Times earlier.
Boeing's total investment in China has reached $800 million to $1 billion in China annually, including industrial cooperation, technology, research and development, training and service, sole proprietorship and joint venture operations, according to a note sent to the Global Times.
In September 2015, Boeing signed an agreement with Commercial Aircraft Corp of China to open a 737 completion and delivery center in China, and the two parties are expected to announce the location in November.
Boeing now produces 42 737s per month, and it plans to increase monthly production to 47 in 2017, 52 in 2018 and 57 in 2019 to meet demand from its customers.
