Trump asked Xi whether China would buy US weapons, State Department clarifies legal restrictions

US President Donald Trump asked his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, whether Beijing was interested in buying weapons from the United States. US Ambassador to Beijing David Perdue spoke about the conversation, which he said took place between the two leaders in Washington last week.

Following Perdue’s comments, the US State Department said that the law does not allow arms sales to China, meaning there is neither an offer nor a plan for such an agreement. The White House also confirmed that it was not considering selling weapons to Beijing.

The issue is particularly important for Taiwan, which has been waiting for months for Trump to approve a $14 billion US arms package. In May, the president said he had postponed the decision, describing the package as a potential instrument in negotiations with China.

Beijing opposes the supply of US weapons to Taiwan, considering the island part of its own territory. A senior Taiwanese official said that China posed a serious military threat to the island and that Washington understood its defense needs.