Airbus closes in on $18b China deal despite US spat

China’s escalating trade war with the US has revived prospects of an $18b jet order from Airbus, with a high-powered delegation from the European planemaker seeking to seal the sale during a visit to Beijing, according to people familiar with the matter. The possible order for about 180 A320 Neo narrow-body planes, first touted in January, will be discussed during the trip involving Airbus CEO Tom Enders and commercial aircraft president Guillaume Faury, said the people. The executives are in China to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Airbus’s first Chinese assembly line and the opening of a helicopter plant. The European company said it doesn’t comment on the travel plans of management or confidential discussions with customers. The CAAC, China’s aviation regulator, said Wednesday it had met with Faury, without elaborating on the context. “The timing of this will not be a coincidence,” said Sash Tusa, an analyst at Agency Partners in London. “The Chinese are political in the way they announce deals, they use aircraft orders as a means of doing international politics.” While a final deal may not be reached, President Xi Jinping is keen to parade the purchase at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai from Nov. 5, where a series of deals demonstrating the nation’s role in global trade is expected to be announced, according to the people. The order could also take centre stage at the Zhuhai air show in southern China, starting a day later.<br/>