Trump asked China’s president Xi if he wanted to buy U.S. arms while defending Taiwan sale, says envoy
U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue stated that President Trump suggested selling U.S. arms to China while simultaneously defending ongoing arms sales to Taiwan. The proposal, if serious, would represent a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy and raise concerns regarding technology security.
Why it matters
This highlights a potential disruption in the delicate geopolitical balance between the U.S., China, and Taiwan, signaling unpredictable shifts in U.S. defense diplomacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has justified the pending arms sale to Taiwan to Chinese President Xi Jinping by downplaying it as one of many sales Washington makes around the world, even asking Mr. Xi if he would be in the market for U.S. arms, U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said on Sunday (September 27, 2026).
Mr. Perdue said Mr. Trump raised the prospect of selling U.S. arms to China, its ascendant geopolitical rival. The unlikely offer, if concluded, would upend generations of U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan and could expose U.S. technology to a potential foe. Speaking to Shannon Bream on 'Fox News Sunday', days after Mr. Trump hosted Mr. Xi for a state visit in Washington, Mr. Perdue did not specify when the offer was made.
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