The Wings of Mao

From the first volley of Peking's Ping Pong diplomacy, rumors began rebounding that the Chinese wanted to buy American-made jets for their state airline. Last week a senior Nixon Administration official confirmed that Peking is "interested" in acquiring 50 to 60 medium-range Boeing 727s. Boeing executives say that they have not been in contact with the Chinese but would be receptive to any inquiry. They could certainly use the extra sales.

Western intelligence analysts reckon that China is about to embark on a major expansion of domestic--and eventually international--air service. Soviet and British (Hawker Siddeley) sales teams are already in Peking offering attractive credit terms on medium-range jets; the French are also said to be in the running. Mao's wingmen will no doubt play one competitor off against another to get the best deal. In addition to buying directly from a manufacturer, the Chinese may consider picking up secondhand 727s or 707s from Western airlines.

A number of enterprising U.S. middlemen, some of whom operate out of Texas, have been in touch with Peking about arranging sales of 727s. Jetliners and other high-technology products are still on a list of goods forbidden by the U.S. Government for export to China. But a new list--now being drafted jointly by the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, Commerce and Agriculture--is expected to be more permissive.

China is presently making do with a superannuated collection of 198 Russian and British propeller and turboprop planes. It recently bought four used British Trident jets from Pakistan, but crews to fly them are still in training. The mainland's own aircraft industry is unequipped to make commercial jets. Production is limited to a small number of helicopters and singleengine, ten-passenger biplanes at the State Aircraft Factory in Mukden, and a few four-passenger seaplanes at the Flying Dragon Machine Works in Shanghai.

The state airline, Wang Sou-Tai, stitches major Chinese cities together with infrequent service, but offers only four international flights a week. China's only other air links to the outside world are a once-a-week Air France flight from Shanghai to Paris, Pakistan International's two flights a week from Karachi to Shanghai and Canton, and scheduled Aeroflot service between Moscow and Peking. Two U.S. airlines--American and United ("Fly the Friendly Skies . . .")--have recently applied to the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board for permission to serve China. Three others--Pan Am, TWA and Northwest--have long had CAB approval, but still face the Chinese red light.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.