U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue revealed on Sunday that President Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a Washington meeting if he would like to buy American weapons. The exchange occurred as the two leaders discussed long-standing geopolitical tensions, including U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
Arms Sales Pitch to Xi Jinping During Washington Summit
Speaking on Fox News Sunday, David Perdue detailed how President Trump raised the prospect of military sales to a geopolitical rival. According to Perdue, Trump downplayed pending transactions by emphasizing general American defense exports during his discussions with Xi Jinping. “President Trump continues to say, hey, we sell arms to other people around the world. He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some at one point,” Perdue said.
The disclosure follows a three-day state visit by Xi to Washington last week. During those talks, the two leaders addressed America’s ongoing military commitments to Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing. According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration previously paused a roughly $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, describing it as a negotiating chip amid trade talks and depleted domestic stockpiles caused by conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.
Official U.S. Rejection and Taiwan Defense Policy
Following Perdue’s television interview, the White House told the New York Times that the United States has no plans to sell arms to China. The State Department similarly clarified that federal law prohibits weapons sales to the People’s Republic of China.
Despite the unusual inquiry made to Xi, Perdue insisted to CNBC that official U.S. policy regarding Taiwan remains unchanged. Ambassador Perdue stated that the administration has already approved $11 billion in previous support and maintains that support for Taiwan’s defense is steady. “Our support for that has not changed,” Perdue said on Fox News, adding that Washington does not support independence or coercion.
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi noted in Taipei that the island faces severe security challenges as Beijing continuously expands its military capacity despite a slowing domestic economy. Under the decades-old Taiwan Relations Act, Washington is required to provide Taipei with sufficient military equipment for self-defense, though the U.S. maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding direct military intervention in a potential cross-strait conflict.
Diplomatic Discussions on Iran and Regional Security
Beyond bilateral trade and cross-strait stability, Trump also pressed Xi on Beijing’s diplomatic and economic backing of Iran. Perdue told reporters that Xi provided assurances that China was adjusting its foreign policy approach regarding Tehran.
“President Xi assured him that changes had been made, that they were looking into it, they had looked into it,” Perdue said. “And we see some improvement in that. But it’s an ongoing effort that we have to make sure that they stay out of that.”
Neither President Trump nor Chinese state media announcements released immediately following the summit mentioned the weapons sales pitch. However, Trump remarked on Saturday that his Chinese counterpart fully understands the American position on Taiwan’s status.
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