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

Washington, September 28 - According to a Fox News interview, US President Donald Trump offered to sell arms to China as a response to concerns over weapons sales to Taiwan, said the US ambassador to China, David Perdue. China considers Taiwan as part of its territory and US arms sales to the self-governed island have been a contentious issue between Washington and Beijing.

The US is obligated by law to furnish Taiwan, which boasts a democratically elected president and legislature, with weapons for its defense. In an interview that aired yesterday, Perdue stated that the matter resurfaced when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the United States last week. Perdue revealed that Trump had inquired if Xi would be interested in purchasing some arms during one of their meetings.

Perdue reiterated that the US stance has remained unchanged. In June, China cautioned Taiwan against seeking independence, be it through reliance on the United States or by military means, stating it as a "dead end." Earlier this year, the US had approved a $11.1 billion (RM45.3 billion) arms sale to Taiwan, which Perdue hailed as the "largest sale of arms to Taiwan by any president since 1979."

During his visit to Washington, Xi cautioned Trump to exercise "caution" concerning Taiwan and urged the United States to explicitly oppose Taiwan's independence. In May, Trump hinted that the forthcoming arms package to Taipei might be utilized as a bargaining tool with China, sparking apprehensions that Taiwan's security could be compromised.