Airbus Expecting Order From China

China is expected to order about 25 A-320 narrow-body planes from Airbus Industrie next week, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Such an order would be valued at about $1.2 billion, based on list prices for the 150-passenger plane, and would be the largest Chinese order to Airbus in terms of the number of planes, according to the report, which cited unidentified government and industry officials.

Elsewhere Friday, the Czech Airline CSA said it plans to buy 10 Boeing 737 aircraft between 1997 and 2000, worth some $350 million, to replace older Russian jets.

The Journal said the Airbus order is expected to be confirmed when Premier Li Peng visits the headquarters of the European consortium in Toulouse, France. Li will be accompanied on his visit next Wednesday through Friday by a business delegation led by Trade Minister Wu Yi.