'Would like to buy some?': Trump offered Xi US weapons as Taiwan deal hangs
US President Donald Trump reportedly suggested that China could purchase US weapons during a meeting with President Xi Jinping. The comments come amid ongoing tensions regarding US arms sales to Taiwan and broader geopolitical trade negotiations.
Why it matters
The remarks underscore the unconventional nature of Trump's foreign policy and the complex, often contradictory, diplomatic stance the US maintains regarding Taiwan and China.
US President Donald Trump sought to downplay Washington's pending arms sale to Taiwan by telling Chinese President Xi Jinping that the US sells weapons to countries around the world, and even asking whether China would like to buy some, according to US ambassador to China David Perdue.“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 told Fox News on Sunday.Perdue made the remarks days after Trump hosted Xi for a state visit in Washington.
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