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Justice Markandey Katju questions President Donald Trump’s claims about massive China-Boeing trade deals, arguing that without written agreements or signed contracts, the announcements remain politically dramatic but economically uncertain.
Where is the contract, President Trump?
By Justice Markandey Katju
US President Donald Trump has just returned from a 2-day visit to China, and has announced that China will buy 200 jet planes made by the American Boeing company, and has promised to buy altogether 750, apart from 450 engines made by the American General Electric company.
But neither Boeing nor China have confirmed this.
Trump also announced that he has made 'fantastic trade deals' with China
But unless there is a written agreement signed, or declared openly and jointly, by US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and a contract signed jointly by China and the Boeing company, or jointly by China and General Electric company, a mere unilateral announcement by Trump means nothing.
The White House said in a statement posted on its X account on Thursday, “Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
But a statement posted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on X on Friday did not mention that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon. Instead, it said, “This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue.”
The problem with Trump is that it is difficult to believe anything he says. He says one thing today, and just the contrary tomorrow.
If the stockholders of Boeing Company believed Trump, the value of Boeing stocks would have risen 10%. But they have actually gone down 5% after Trump's visit to China and his announcement.
The 200-jet announcement has disclosed nothing about details: no operator names, no aircraft types confirmed, no delivery timeline, no firm contract signed yet.
Until planes physically leave Boeing's factory and land in China, the announcement exists only in oral unilateral words, locked inside US-China disputes involving tariffs, rare earth metals, Taiwan, and Iran.
Trump's visit to China was, to put it in a Persian expression, only '' Aamadam, guftam, barkhaastam '', i.e. '' Coming, talking, and dispersing, with '' zero haasildam '' i.e. nothing achieved.
(Justice Katju is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chairman of the Press Council of India. These are his personal views.)
