US President Donald Trump offered to sell American weapons to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Chinese leader’s visit to the United States last week, according to US Ambassador to China David Perdue. Perdue said on Sunday that Trump had asked Xi whether he was interested in purchasing US weapons.
Speaking to Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday, Perdue said Trump made the offer after Xi objected to US arms sales to Taiwan, which is democratically governed but claimed by China as part of its territory.
Reacting to Xi’s objection, Trump reportedly sought to justify the pending US arms sale to Taiwan by portraying it as one among the many weapons sales Washington conducts with countries around the world.
According to Perdue, the two leaders were discussing US arms supplies to Taiwan when Trump said, “Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world.”
Referring to Trump’s proposal to Xi, Perdue said, “He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some (arms), at one point.” The US ambassador, however, did not clarify when exactly Trump made the proposal.
If pursued, Trump’s unusual proposal could represent a significant departure from Washington’s longstanding approach to China and Taiwan, while also raising concerns about the potential exposure of sensitive US military technology to a major geopolitical rival.
During the interview, Bream cited concerns expressed by Republican and Democratic lawmakers over delays in aid packages and weapons orders for Taiwan, the self-governing island that faces the possibility of a Chinese invasion. She asked whether the US was holding back arms supplies to Taiwan in an effort to avoid antagonising Xi, who had visited Trump the previous week.
Perdue dismissed the suggestion, saying Trump “is as strong on Taiwan as I’ve ever seen anybody” and had authorised significant arms sales to the island.
Under US law, Washington is required to provide Taiwan with the means necessary for its self-defence. While the United States does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent country, it remains the island’s most significant unofficial supporter and arms supplier. However, successive US administrations have maintained strategic ambiguity over whether American forces would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
Beijing has repeatedly called on Washington to halt arms sales to Taiwan, including during a meeting between Trump and Xi in Beijing in May. After that summit, the US put a record $14 billion arms package for Taiwan on hold, while Trump characterised weapons sales to the island as a “very good negotiating chip” in discussions with China.
During their private meeting at the White House last week, Xi urged Trump to oppose Taiwan independence, according to Chinese state media.
