David Perdue, the US Ambassador to China, revealed that President Donald Trump once asked President Xi Jinping whether China was interested in buying weapons from the US during discussions about arms sales to Taiwan. Meanwhile, the US administration confirmed there are no plans or proposals to sell weapons to China, and US law prohibits arms sales to China.
David Perdue, US Ambassador to China, disclosed that President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping if he was interested in purchasing weapons from the US during talks concerning China's concerns over US arms sales to Taiwan. Perdue revealed this in an interview on "Fox News Sunday," which aired on Sunday, 27 Sep 2020 GMT+7.
Perdue said that Trump tried to explain to Xi Jinping that the US sells weapons to many countries worldwide and at one point asked the Chinese leader, "Are you interested in buying some?" However, Perdue did not specify when Trump asked this nor did he reveal Xi Jinping's response.
This revelation comes amid tensions over arms sales to Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, while Taiwan governs itself with an elected president and legislature. The US does not officially recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, but under the Taiwan Relations Act, the US has an obligation to provide equipment and arms necessary for Taiwan's self-defense.
Perdue affirmed that US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged. He said Trump continues to discuss arms sales to Taiwan with Xi Jinping and noted that Trump has approved arms sales to Taiwan this year totaling around $11 billion, which Perdue said is the highest value of arms sales to Taiwan by any US president since 1979.
Earlier, the US approved arms sales agreements to Taiwan worth $11.1 billion in December, with an additional arms package valued at approximately $14 billion still under consideration. On 25 Sep 2020 GMT+7, Perdue said it was unknown when Trump would sign off on the additional sales and reaffirmed there was no change in US policy toward Taiwan.
China has consistently opposed US arms sales to Taiwan and demanded Washington halt such sales. During the recent meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in Washington last week, the Chinese leader called on the US to oppose any declaration of independence by Taiwan, according to Chinese state media reports.
However, following Perdue's interview, the US administration clarified that there are no plans to sell weapons to China. The US State Department stated that US law prohibits arms sales to China and confirmed there are no proposals or plans to sell weapons to the Beijing government.
Perdue's disclosure comes amid sensitive issues in US-China relations, especially regarding Taiwan, which remains one of the most critical points between the two powers. The Taiwanese government states that China continues to strengthen its military capabilities despite economic pressures and emphasizes the necessity to enhance Taiwan's national defense capabilities.