The purchase is envisioned as a component of a more expansive trade deal if the world’s two largest economies can reach an agreement in the next few months.

Boeing Co. is heading closer toward finalizing a deal with China to sell as many as 500 aircraft, according to people familiar with the matter, a transaction that would end a sales drought that stretches back to US President Donald Trump’s last visit in 2017.

Boeing negotiates major aircraft sale to China amid leadership changes, with the deal representing China's first major Boeing purchase since Trump's previous presidency.