From the beginning of next month, the 1.3 billion population of the People's Republic of China will be allowed to travel to Hong Kong unrestricted, i.e. without the restriction of being part of a tour group. Up to half a million are expected in HK during their national holiday in October. It won't be long before the restriction is lifted for other countries. Although many of them can't afford to travel overseas, with an economy which grew 8% this year (even after SARs), it won't be too long before they will be able to. And at this rate of growth, China will be the largest economy in the world in 25 years.
They will need lots of big aeroplanes. The A380 fills the requirement quite nicely. And as most of the worlds manufacturing is being outsourced to countries such as the PRC, large chunks of the A380 will probably be made there to offset the cost of the large numbers the Chinese will buy.
If Boeing want to stay ahead of the game, they need to start thinking a bit more laterally and look at ways they can economically develope a new mass air transport rather than try and re-generate the concept of the 767 and/or re-jig their jurrassic large aircraft design.
DW
(PS, I would like to point out that I fly 747s before the pro- Boeing lobby decides to take a pop.)