China’s president to visit Microsoft, Boeing during trip to United States

President Xi Jinping will tour Boeing and Microsoft in Seattle on the first stop of his US visit next week, state and company officials confirmed.

His itinerary for the September 22 to 24 stay in Seattle includes visiting Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington, and Boeing’s massive factory in Everett, where 787, 777 and other wide-body jets are built.

Xi is expected to make the only policy speech of his US visit in Seattle next Tuesday.

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“We’re honoured that President Xi will see our factory and meet the Boeing employees who worked to deliver a record 155 airplanes to China last year,” Boeing’s chairman Jim McNerney said.

Boeing is considering setting up a facility in China to finish, paint and deliver narrow-body 737 planes, sources said this week.

Analysts say creating a Chinese plant is key to winning more aircraft orders from China, which is developing its own 737 competitor, the Comac C919, but it is behind schedule.