Trump Asked Xi About Buying U.S. Weapons, Ambassador Confirms

U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue disclosed on Sunday that President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether China would be interested in purchasing American weapons during Xi's state visit to Washington the previous week. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Perdue said Trump raised the prospect as part of a broader justification for U.S. arms sales globally, telling Xi: "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 did not specify when during the visit the question was posed or provide details of Xi's response.

The disclosure has drawn immediate pushback from U.S. officials. The White House and State Department both clarified that U.S. law prohibits arms sales to China and no such sale is planned or under discussion. A State Department statement said: "US law prohibits arms sales to China and there is no offer or plan to sell arms to China." Chinese state media sources reported that Xi pressed Trump to oppose Taiwan independence during their private talks, while China's foreign ministry did not confirm Perdue's account when asked on Monday.

The remarks occur against a backdrop of tension over Taiwan. Trump has delayed approval of a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, which he previously described in May as "a very good negotiating chip" in negotiations with China. During the same May summit in Beijing, the $14 billion package was first paused. Congressional leaders from both parties have pressed Trump to approve the sale, with four Republican senators sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before Xi's arrival urging action on the package and related Taiwan security assistance totaling over $1.3 billion.

Perdue defended Trump's record on Taiwan in his Sunday interview, stating that Trump "is as strong on Taiwan as I've ever seen anybody" and has sold Taiwan substantial quantities of weapons. He noted that Trump approved $11 billion in Taiwan arms sales last year and indicated ongoing discussions about future sales. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States is legally required to provide Taiwan with sufficient defensive military equipment, though multiple U.S. leaders have left ambiguous whether the country would use military force to defend the island should China invade.

Taiwan's deputy representative to the United States, Yu Dajia, expressed confidence on Sunday that "the U.S. position toward Taiwan has not changed" based on public remarks from U.S. officials the previous week, though he stated hope that Taiwan would receive the delayed $14 billion package "as soon as possible." China has long pressed Washington to halt arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province. Trump indicated he will meet Xi again in November at a regional leaders summit in China and that Xi will return to the United States in December for a multilateral summit.