Donald Trump denies ambassador claim of offering US arms sales to China's Xi Jinping

Ambassador remarks and presidential denial

US Ambassador to China David Perdue stated in a Fox News television interview on Sunday that President Donald Trump had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether Beijing wanted to purchase American military weapons. Perdue explained that discussions regarding arms occurred during bilateral meetings following Xi's visit to Washington the previous week. The ambassador indicated that the proposal arose in the context of broader discussions surrounding regional arms sales.

“He and President Xi talk about this every time they meet. However, President Trump keeps saying: 'Hey, we sell weapons to other people all around the world.' He even asked President Xi at one point if he would like to buy them too.”

Trump dismissed the ambassador's account during an exchange with reporters at the White House on Monday. The president stated that he had never heard of the proposal and suggested that Perdue had likely confused China with Taiwan. While denying that any weapons offer took place, Trump added that he would speak with Perdue about the television interview. Trump also commented on the comparative technological quality of American equipment.

“They would probably like to buy it because we make better equipment than they do, so maybe it is a good idea. But we did not talk about it.”

Legal embargo and Taiwan weapons policy

The State Department issued a formal statement on Monday clarifying that the United States has no plans or offers to sell arms to Beijing. Direct military exports to China have been prohibited under congressional legislation and the US Munitions List since the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. An administration official confirmed to reporters under condition of anonymity that statutory prohibitions remain fully in effect. The diplomatic dispute occurs alongside existing tensions regarding US defense assistance to Taiwan.

Washington approved an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan in December, though the Trump administration has withheld a separate $14 billion package of defensive weapons. In May, Trump described the withheld weapons shipments as a useful negotiating tool in bilateral dealings with Beijing. Perdue stated during his interview that the current administration had authorized more weapons sales to Taiwan than any administration since 1979. He added that official policy neither supports Taiwanese independence nor Chinese coercion.

Approved Taiwan package (December)11.1

Withheld Taiwan package (2026)14

Bilateral tariff framework per country30

Approved Taiwan package (December)

11.1 $ billion

Withheld Taiwan package (2026)

14 $ billion

Bilateral tariff framework per country

30 $ billion

Data from the article text

International reactions and strategic context

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun avoided direct comment on Perdue's remarks, stating that China strengthens its defense capabilities based on national requirements and remains committed to global peace and stability. In Taipei, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung stated that Taiwan expects the United States to deliver the planned defensive weapons packages to maintain regional security. Furthermore, prior to Xi's visit, reports from Politico noted that Chinese authorities had obtained advanced F-35 fighter components following an Australian shipment that was misdirected to Hong Kong rather than reaching the United States.

Policy experts evaluated the diplomatic consequences of the ambassador's claims. David Sacks of the Council on Foreign Relations stated that Perdue's characterization suggested Trump views China as a commercial customer rather than a strategic competitor, warning that the comments could increase skepticism in Taiwan regarding American security commitments. Jonathan Czin of the Brookings Institution noted that selling arms to Beijing would represent a fundamental reversal of established policy if the remarks reflected actual policy rather than an error. The controversy coincided with bilateral negotiations establishing a framework to review reciprocal tariff limits on $30 billion in goods for each country.