US Ambassador to China: Trump Offered to Sell Weapons to Beijing

US President Donald Trump offered to sell American weapons to China, according to US Ambassador to Beijing David Perdue, in an interview aired on Fox News on Sunday.

Perdue said the issue was raised again during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States last week.

He added, “President Trump continues to say that we sell weapons to other countries around the world. At one point, President Xi asked if he wanted to buy some.”

He continued, “Discussions about other sales are ongoing, and Trump and President Xi discuss this matter every time they meet,” emphasizing that the US position has not changed.

In June, China warned Taiwan that seeking independence “by relying on the United States or through military means is a dead end.”

Last December, Washington approved an arms deal for Taiwan worth $11.1 billion, which Perdue said “exceeds what any other US president has provided since 1979.”

In May, Trump hinted that a new arms package for Taipei could be used as a bargaining chip with China, raising concerns that Taiwan’s security might become part of the two countries’ negotiations.