The U.S. government is taking action against China, once again! The United States is starting a strategy to limit China’s technological advance in specific and important sectors, like the aviation industry. An American delivery to China has been canceled by the U.S. government, we are talking about a key engine for the development of the C919 – a commercial aircraft manufactured by the Chinese company Comac.
This is not the first time the U.S. government has tried to hold up China’s activities. So, let’s see why the United States has started this strategy this time.
United States vs. China
The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to suspend export licenses of certain technological products, and the LEAP-1C engine. Why is this engine on the list? Well, it just so happens that China needs this engine from the CFM International (a joint venture between the U.S. and France). Comac, a Chinese company, is developing a new passenger aircraft called C919, but it won’t be completed until they have the LEAP-1C engine…
As you can see the C919 depends on the U.S. (and other countries) to be manufactured, but China is announcing it as an achievement of the Chinese industry.
Why is the U.S. doing this?
Well, both countries are in a technological competition to see who is the best at technological developments in different fields, this time it is the turn of the aviation industry. So, by blocking the engines sales, the U.S. is delaying the Chinese aircraft project and, therefore, lowering the chances of China to compete against huge aviation companies, like Boeing and Airbus.
What’s more, the U.S. considered this strategy as crucial for the security and influence of the country because the aviation industry is used for commercial and military interests. So, if Comac overcomes the U.S. restrictions – either by developing their own engine or creating new partnerships – it will mean China strengthening its presence in the international market with no dependency on the West and selling aircrafts to countries where the Chinese influence is growing, like Africa and Southeast Asia.
China’s take on this
The Chinese embassy in Washington has described this strategy as a malicious block and an abuse of export checks. According to the Beijing government, the U.S. actions have no fair commercial basis, they are part of a political pressure to keep China out of the most important global markets.
Also, China has highlighted that the C919 is a key project for the country and they will take advantage of the increased demand on aircrafts to reduce their dependence on Airbus and Boeing.
Do you think if the U.S. keeps blocking access to vital components, it will motivate China to invest even more in its own research and development to avoid being a vulnerable country in the future?
What will happen?
This U.S. decision not only affects a project or a company, but also sets a precedent on geopolitics on technology. We live in a period when the aviation industry is crucial for many aspects, so to have the capability of controlling the access to engines or key systems shows international power. Having this in mind, the C919 aircraft depends on the Chinese company’s technical capability, but also on its ability to navigate political tensions.
This conflict shows how important the aviation industry has become to powers in the world and being in possession of technological pieces is essential in this global market. We do not know what will happen to the Chinese project, it could risk companies like Airbus and Boeing or it could be even more limited by the West. Only time will tell.