"This is a very, very special, mutually beneficial relationship between China and Boeing," Mulally said at a news conference on Tuesday at the company's commercial airplanes headquarters in Redmond, Washington State. "They bought their first jet airplanes 30 years ago .... and it just changed the world for them, and it changed the world for us. So this is really a celebration of how far we've come and how much we have to look forward to."

China bought its first planes from Boeing - 10 707s - in September 1972, just seven months after Secretary of S

tate Henry Kissinger accompanied President Richard Nixon on a trip to Beijing that restored diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Mulally refused to confirm reports that Kissinger would be taking part in the trip, saying participants would not be announced.

This will be Locke's second trip to China on state business and his first trip accompanying Boeing executives overseas.

"Boeing has a long and successful track record of building strong relationships in China and all around the world," Locke said. "Strong international trade is critically important to our state's economic vitality."

To date, China has ordered 409 Boeing jets and taken delivery of 376 planes. The company predicts China will have the world's fastest-growing aviation market over the next 20 years, expanding 7.6 percent each year.

The Chicago-based airplane manufacturer sold 30 single-aisle 737s to China in October 2001, six weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Since then Boeing has pursued an order that would be a mix of narrow-body and wide-body jets, but company officials said the visit is not part of that sales campaign.

During his first visit to China in October 1997, Locke lobbied Chinese President Jiang Zemin to buy Boeing planes.

"China has made great strides, and that's why I really believe in international trade," he said.

Locke and Mulally will meet with Chinese government officials and take part in 30th anniversary ceremonies in Beijing on December 3.

(eastday.com November 28, 2002)