I got to witness history this week. And that's no exaggeration. I was one of about 5,000 Boeing employees in the Everett factory on Wednesday when Chinese president Hu Jintao paid a visit.

An Air China 747-400 rolls to a stop along the Boeing flightline as dignitaries line up to greet President Hu Jintao on Tuesday morning.

The whole event was pretty extraordinary. To have the president of China make his first stop in the U.S. at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. Then taxi onto the Boeing flightline and step out of the plane to the cheers of Chinese-Americans assembled there to greet President Hu and the First Lady. Well, let's just say it's been a week to remember.

President Hu waves to the crowd in Everett.

I've been fascinated with the Chinese market since the first time I visited China in 1984. In recent years I've made many trips to China, including briefings to the Chinese media, government officials, and airlines, to discuss the Chinese market and Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Of course Boeing and China have had a relationship throughout the modern jet era that spans nearly 35 years. And our ties go back even further, to the earliest days of Bill Boeing's company.

Needless to say, this week's events have been quite positive for Boeing and the economy here in the state of Washington.

Images of BCA President and CEO Alan Mulally and President Hu Jintao projected on a giant screen at the event inside the Everett factory on Wednesday.

In his remarks at the Everett factory, home of the 747, 767, 777, and 787, President Hu showed that he knew how to work the home crowd. "Boeing is a household name in my country," he said. "When Chinese people fly, it is mostly in a Boeing plane. I am happy to tell you that I came to the United States on a Boeing plane." You can access some audio clips from the event here.

Alan Mulally applauds as Paul Dernier, a 777 systems installation supervisor, gets a hug and a handshake from President Hu. Dernier presented the Chinese president with a Boeing hat during the factory event in Everett.

China has recently ordered a total of 150 Next-Generation 737s, after the signing last week in Washington, D.C. of a general purchase agreement. The 80 airplanes in last week's agreement combine with 70 airplanes agreed to in November 2005 to complete the 150-airplane purchase. We expect to finalize the agreements over the next few weeks.

President Hu touched on that order in his remarks, as well as expressing China's enthusiasm at being a part of the customer launch team for the 787, with an order of 60 Dreamliners by six Chinese airlines.

Boeing forecasts that China will need more than 2,600 new airplanes in the next 20 years - about 64% of which will be single-aisle airplanes such as the 737. The 737 represents a large portion of China's fleet even now, making up a little over 40% of China's passenger airplanes.

A final wave goodbye from the top of the air stairs on Wednesday afternoon before President Hu and the First Lady depart for the "other Washington."

There were so many quotable moments this week. Alan Mulally really summed up the excitement at the conclusion of the Everett factory event, cheering, "China rocks!"

And President Hu put a fine cap on the entire visit when he vowed that the cooperation between Boeing and China will be even greater in the future and will "fly further and higher, just like a Boeing plane."