China’s first passenger jet, the C919, made its international air show debut in Singapore earlier this year. This type of single-aisle, narrow-body plane amounts to 60% of the world’s passenger fleet, currently dominated by Airbus and Boeing. Beijing declared the C919 the first “homegrown” Chinese passenger jet, naming it a source of “national pride.” The plane is made by the Chinese state-owned COMAC, or Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, but experts say up to 60% of its components result from deals with America’s top aerospace companies.
Also, in 2022, Chinese spy Yanjun Xu was jailed for 20 years in the U.S. for attempted economic espionage and theft of aviation trade secrets as well as two related counts of conspiracy. According to evidence presented at his trial, Xu tried to steal engine technology from GE Aviation used in the C919, called the CFM Leap. Xu was a deputy director of China’s Ministry of State Security.
Our guests:
John Eastwood
- Eiger Law Senior Partner
Tony Hu
- Former U.S. Department of Defense Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia
Stephen Tan
- International Policy Advisory Group Managing Director
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