Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and China‘s Premier Li Keqiang attend a welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Thursday.

China signed a contract to buy 100 A320 aircraft from European manufacturer Airbus on Thursday, a spokesman for the firm told AFP, worth $9.7 billion at list prices.

The deal, signed as German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Beijing, also includes the confirmation of 30 previously announced options for twin-aisle A330s, the spokesman told AFP.

The firm — which has an assembly facility in the northern Chinese port of Tianjin — is engaged in a fierce struggle with Boeing of the US for dominance in the crucial Chinese market.

When Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Airbus headquarters in the French city of Toulouse in January, a deal for 75 A330s was announced, worth at least $17 billion at list prices.

During Chinese president Xi Jinping visit to the US last month, Seattle-based Boeing announced a record purchase of 300 aircraft worth around $38 billion.

China is expected to add 6,330 new aircraft worth $950 billion to its commercial fleet by 2034, Boeing said in August in its annual China Current Market Outlook.

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