Welcome to Global Business Minute. President Trump’s new restrictions on aerospace technology exports to China highlight growing U.S. anxiety over Beijing’s state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation, or COMAC, and its C919 jetliner. Launched in 2008 with Western help, the C919 finally entered service in 2023 after years of delays. The plane is touted by Chinese state media as a “pillar of a great power,” yet at least 40 percent of its parts come from the U.S. and other Western firms. In congressional testimony, former U.S. counterintelligence chief William R. Evanina warned, “Almost the entire makeup of the C919 is stolen technology from numerous aviation and technology industries from around the world.” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian condemned the U.S. move as “a malicious blockade and suppression of China,” accusing America of overstretching national security. Despite nearly 1,000 orders from state-controlled airlines, the C919 still lacks certification from the U.S. FAA and Europe’s safety agency. As COMAC gears up production, Washington’s export curbs signal a new chapter in the high-stakes competition over the world’s skies. Thanks for listening.
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