Trump offered to sell arms to Xi: US ambassador to Fox News

US President Donald Trump proposed selling weapons to Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a meeting, according to the US ambassador to China speaking on Fox News. The ambassador, David Perdue, indicated that this suggestion came up when Xi visited the United States, and Trump asked if Xi would be interested in buying some arms. However, Perdue emphasized that the US stance remains unchanged, as US law forbids arms sales to China.

The US State Department reiterated that there are no plans to sell arms to China, as stated by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. A White House official claimed that the US had no intention to sell arms to China, but the Chinese foreign ministry did not respond directly to the ambassador's comments. China has maintained that its defense capabilities are determined by its own needs and that it remains committed to global peace and stability.

Taiwan was warned in June about seeking independence through US or military means, as such actions were deemed futile. In December, the US approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which Perdue stated was the highest amount of arms sold to Taiwan by any president since 1979. The sale of these weapons was reportedly offered as a "very good negotiating chip" in discussions with China, which raised concerns about Taiwan's security potentially being compromised.

During his visit to Washington, Xi reiterated his warning to Trump about Taiwan and urged the US to explicitly oppose Taiwan's independence. Both leaders agreed to meet again at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, in November, and the G20 forum at Trump's Doral resort in Miami in December.