Maybe there's a book titled "How to go a year without buying anything made by Americans" over there?

[RB TexLa]

Airbus to sell 160 jets to China
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press Writer

BEIJING - Airbus said it signed contracts Monday to sell 160 commercial passenger jets to China in a deal worth around $14.8 billion.

The order includes 110 of the European company's A320 jets and 50 of the slightly larger A330 planes, Airbus officials said in Beijing, where they were accompanying French President Nicolas Sarkozy on his first state visit to the Asian trading giant.

Airbus and Chinese partners this summer signed an agreement to produce A320s in China in anticipation of large Chinese orders for the popular single aisle jet that seats 150 or more passengers. Size-wise, the plane is well suited for Chinese domestic routes expected to show strong growth in the years ahead as the economy continues to expand.

Airbus and its American archrival Boeing Co. predict China will become the world's second-biggest aircraft market after the United States, with airlines buying 1,900 to 2,600 planes over the next two decades.

The order stands to push Airbus past Chicago-based Boeing in total orders for commercial aircraft this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071126/ap_on_bi_ge/china_airbus_7

[Angela Shelley]

1. Maybe the Chinese are willing to pay for quality

Maybe they have realized that some countries will only buy cheap, but have decided to buy quality for themselves.

[floridablue]

2. Does Airbus have higher quality than Boeing?

[zbdent]

3. There would be, but it would probably be printed in China ...

[Romulox]

4. Most AMERICANS won't buy American. Why should the Chinese? nt

[charlie]

5. Huh

Here was a chance to unload some of their gigantic holdings in depreciating dollars for goods at bargain prices, but they opted to pay the euro premium instead. Airbus threw in some sweeteners Boeing couldn't match or China's taking a hit to decouple from the US market. Or something.