China Buys 130 Airbus Jets for $17 Billion

China has signed a $17 billion deal to buy 130 Airbus jets during German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Beijing.

Angela Merkel met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in the capital.

The contract includes 30 wide-body A330s and 100 narrow-body A320s.

Earlier this year, Airbus agreed to build a new assembly facility in China’s northern port of Tianjin.

The European aerospace consortium is engaged in a battle with US-based Boeing for dominance in the growing Chinese market.

“We are grateful to CAS [China Aviation Supplies], one of our longest standing customers, for its continued confidence in Airbus and in the versatile A330 Family as well as the best-selling A320 Family,” said Airbus president Fabrice Bregier in a statement.

In August, Boeing said China was expected to add 6,330 new aircraft to its commercial fleet by 2034.

Airbus has headquarters in Germany and France.