1.   Although individual Chinese airlines negotiate with Boeing and Airbus for new planes, the actual orders are placed by a central Chinese buying authority.

2.   Attempts by two other Chinese airlines -- China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines -- to sell shares abroad have been stalled for more than two years.

3.   Boeing earlier this year opened a huge parts distribution and pilot training center in Beijing in an effort to woo buyers from Chinese airlines.

4.   Chinese airlines already account for as many as one in seven deliveries of Boeing planes every year.

5.   Chinese airlines already account for about one in seven deliveries of Boeing planes every year.

6.   China Eastern Airlines, the first Chinese airline to sell shares to the public, may face a bumpy ride due to its heavy debt load.

7.   Company officials, however, said McDonnell Douglas is having to take out loans to finance the construction of planes to meet orders by Chinese airlines.

8.   Delta would join United, Northwest and three Chinese airlines in providing service between the two countries, but would be the first to fly nonstop from the Northeast.

9.   During the past two years, The Boeing Co. has sold one out of every seven jets it makes to Chinese airlines, company spokesman Christopher Villiers said.

10.   Industry experts also say difficulty in lining up plane-financing and also squabbling between Chinese airlines on which ones get new planes have helped slow new Boeing orders.