There Is a Bigger Threat to US Trade Than Chinese Chips
The focus on semiconductors risks taking attention away from America’s crucial aerospace sector.
Homegrown.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergUS teeth-gnashing over China’s development of a domestic semiconductor industry is drowning out an overlooked threat to trade, one which has far bigger implications for American jobs and could undermine national and economic security.
A statement from China Eastern Airlines Corp. last week points to an overwhelming trend in the world’s second-largest economy. Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd. (Comac) landed orders for 100 of its C919 jets from the carrier just months after the aircraft model made its first commercial flight. Both companies are state-owned enterprises and although the list price is $9.9 billion, the actual deal is likely much smaller after a steep discount. The single-aisle passenger plane is a local equivalent to Boeing Co.’s 737 series or Airbus SE’s A320Neo.