Trump offered to sell arms to China, says US ambassador

In a recent Fox News interview, US Ambassador to China David Perdue revealed that President Donald Trump once proposed selling arms to China in response to concerns over weapons sales to Taiwan. China views Taiwan as its territory, and US arms sales to the island have been a contentious issue between Washington and Beijing for a long time.

As per US law, Taiwan, which boasts a democratically elected government, is entitled to receive weapons for its defense. On his recent visit to the US, Chinese President Xi Jinping also raised the issue. President Trump, however, has consistently maintained that the US sells arms to other nations globally. Perdue informed that the subject of additional sales was discussed every time Trump and Xi met.

In June, China had cautioned Taiwan against pursuing independence through either US support or military action, deeming such endeavors futile. Notably, the US had approved a $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in December, the largest such sale since 1979. During Xi's visit to Washington, he cautioned Trump to exercise caution regarding Taiwan and urged the US to explicitly oppose Taiwan's independence.