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United States (US) Ambassador to China David Perdue has said Donald Trump offered to sell arms to China in response to concerns over US weapons sales to Taiwan.
Perdue made the disclosure in an interview with Fox News that aired on Sunday. He said Trump raised the issue while discussing US arms sales to Taiwan, which remain a major source of tension between Washington and Beijing.
“President Trump continues to say, ‘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 said. He added that Trump and Xi continue to discuss possible US weapons sales during their meetings.
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“There are continuing conversations about other sales, (Trump) and President Xi talk about that every time they get together,” Perdue said.
However, the White House later said the United States had no plans to sell weapons to China, while the State Department said US law prohibits such sales.
The comments came after Xi visited Washington last week for talks with Trump, where Taiwan was among the sensitive issues discussed.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and strongly opposes US arms sales to the self-governed island.
The United States, however, must provide Taiwan with weapons and other defence equipment under the Taiwan Relations Act to maintain its ability to defend itself.
Washington approved an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan in December, which Perdue described as more arms than any US president had sold to the island since 1979. A separate $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan has remained pending, with Perdue saying earlier that Trump would decide when to approve it.
China has repeatedly urged Washington to stop selling weapons to Taiwan. In June, Beijing warned that Taiwan’s efforts to seek independence by relying on the United States or military means would be a “dead end.”
During Xi’s latest visit to Washington, the Chinese leader also urged Trump to oppose Taiwan independence, according to Chinese state media.
The latest comments have drawn attention because the US has long restricted military exports to China, while Washington remains Taiwan’s main international arms supplier.
In May, Trump also suggested that the pending Taiwan arms package could be used as a negotiating tool in talks with Beijing. The remarks raised concerns among some observers that Taiwan’s security could become part of wider US-China negotiations.
Perdue has nevertheless said US policy toward Taiwan has not changed, including Washington’s position under the Taiwan Relations Act and its existing commitments.
