David Perdue, the US ambassador to China, said President Donald Trump asked Xi Jinping during Xi’s Washington visit whether China would like to buy US weapons, asserting Trump framed arms sales as a bargaining tool. Perdue made the claim on Fox News and reiterated there had been no change to Taiwan policy on CNBC. The White House and State Department immediately denied any plans or offers, noting US law bars arms sales to China. Chinese state media praised the courtesy shown to Xi during the visit, while Trump has not publicly repeated the alleged offer and previously described a pending $14bn US arms package for Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip.”
The remark landed amid heightened concerns in Taipei: Taiwanese officials warned of a “severe” military threat as Beijing continues to build capability and opposes US arms transfers to the island. Xi urged Trump to oppose Taiwanese independence during summit talks, and a US fact sheet about shared WWII efforts prompted pushback from Taiwan. Arms-flow data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute show China’s arms imports plunged about 72% between 2021 and 2025 versus the prior five years as domestic production and Russian ties shift. The episode underscores legal constraints, strategic frictions over Taiwan and questions about US commitments.
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