DAVID GREENE, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with China aiming high.

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GREENE: We're talking about airplanes. China has made its first major deal with Airbus, the European aviation giant. It's buying 50 planes at a cost of more than three and a half billion dollars. The agreement was signed during a visit to China by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It's the first purchase since a dispute between Beijing and the EU over emissions trading. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.