US Ambassador to China David Perdue revealed that US President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping during a recent meeting whether China would be interested in purchasing American weapons. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Perdue stated that Trump brought up the idea during discussions in Washington, highlighting that the United States routinely sells military equipment to foreign nations around the world.
Following Perdue’s interview, both the White House and the US Department of State moved to clarify official policy. The State Department stated that US law strictly prohibits arms sales to China and confirmed there is no offer or plan to sell weapons to Beijing. The White House similarly stated that no such sales were being planned. Perdue also noted in a separate interview that US policy regarding Taiwan has not changed.
The ambassador's claim comes at a delicate time for US relations with Taiwan, which has been waiting for months for presidential approval of a $14 billion arms package. Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi recently warned of a severe military threat from Beijing, emphasizing the island's defense needs despite China's declining economy. Under the decades-old Taiwan Relations Act, the US is required to provide Taiwan with sufficient military equipment to defend itself, a policy that Beijing resolutely opposes as it views Taiwan as a breakaway province.
Beijing has repeatedly opposed US military support for Taipei, with President Xi urging Trump to oppose "Taiwan independence" during their Washington summit. Meanwhile, Trump previously referred to the delayed $14 billion arms package as a negotiating chip in broader dealings with China. Although Trump stated that Xi understands his position on Taiwan, Washington maintains a long-standing policy of strategic ambiguity regarding whether it would intervene directly to defend the island in the event of an invasion.