The United States ambassador to China said on Sunday that President Donald Trump offered to sell weapons to China during his recent meeting with President Xi Jinping.
US Ambassador David Perdue told Fox News on Sunday that “President Trump continues to say we sell arms to other people around the world. He actually asked President Xi whether he would like to buy some.”
The remark was made during an interview concerning US policy on Taiwan, where officials have been awaiting Trump’s approval of a new $14 billion arms‑sales package, following a record multi‑billion‑dollar deal announced last December.
Questions have persisted about Trump’s commitment to Taiwan’s defense. At a May meeting with Xi in Beijing, Trump indicated that the proposed $14 billion arms‑sales package to Taiwan remained on hold, calling it a “very good negotiating chip” in relations with China.
Washington has long kept a deliberately ambiguous position on whether it would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if invaded. However, the Taiwan Relations Act, a decades‑old law, obligates the United States to supply Taipei with sufficient military equipment to enable self‑defense.
China has consistently “resolutely opposes” US arms sales to Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province it has never governed, and has not ruled out using force to achieve reunification. During last week’s Washington meeting, President Xi urged Trump to oppose “Taiwan independence,” according to a statement from Xinhua.
Following the interview, the White House told The New York Times that the United States has no intention to sell arms to China. The State Department added that US law prohibits such sales and that there is no offer or plan to proceed with any transaction.
Prior to the interview, Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming‑chi highlighted the severe military threat posed by China.
“Taiwan faces a severe security situation in the Taiwan Strait. Even though China’s economy is faltering, it continues to invest heavily in expanding its military capabilities. Under these circumstances, the United States fully understands our defense requirements,” Chen told reporters in Taipei.
Trump has not commented further on the sale since the summit, stating only on Saturday that President Xi understands his stance on Taiwan.
Ambassador Perdue told CNBC on Friday that there had been no shift in Trump’s Taiwan policy, including the arms‑sales framework.
With Reuters
