U.S. government officials on Monday firmly denied reports that the United States has plans to sell weapons to China, following remarks by U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue that suggested President Donald Trump had offered such a deal to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent summit. The denial comes as a significant clarification after Perdue’s comments on a televised interview sparked speculation about a shift in U.S. defense policy toward its primary strategic competitor.
During a Sunday appearance on Fox News, Ambassador Perdue stated that President Trump had asked Xi if he would like to purchase U.S. arms, noting, “He actually asked President Xi would he like to buy some at one point.” Perdue did not provide further details regarding the specific nature of the offer or reveal Xi’s response. In response to the controversy, a U.S. official told ABC News on Monday that the government has no plans to sell weapons to China, while the State Department issued a statement emphasizing that U.S. law prohibits such arms sales and that no offer or plan exists.
“The U.S. government has no plans to sell weapons to China,” the official said to ABC News on Monday.
When questioned about Perdue’s comments in the Oval Office on Monday, President Trump stated that he did not discuss the matter with Xi, suggesting the ambassador may have been referring to Taiwan rather than China. “I never heard of that one. I'm going to have to ask him,” Trump said. He later added, “I think he probably was talking about Taiwan,” while acknowledging that the U.S. produces superior equipment that China might be interested in purchasing.
The potential for a weapons sale to China would be extraordinary given the two nations' status as geopolitical rivals competing in advanced artificial intelligence and holding opposing views on Taiwanese sovereignty. The U.S. has designated China as a foreign adversary and imposed extensive economic sanctions, including investment bans and contract limits on entities tied to the Chinese military. Additionally, Beijing has recently faced scrutiny for allegedly providing satellite imagery to Iran, another U.S. adversary, during its ongoing conflict with the United States and regional allies.
Despite the denial regarding China, the Trump administration continues to press pause on a proposed $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, a de facto independent nation that China claims as sovereign territory. Ambassador Perdue defended the administration’s stance on Taiwan, asserting that President Trump has sold 50% more arms to the island than any other president since 1979 and that the U.S. has not changed its One China policy. “President Trump is as strong on Taiwan as I've ever seen anybody,” Perdue said.
<small>Source: Yahoo News — read the original story there.</small>