Washington has denied having any plans or offers to sell weapons to China, following remarks by US Ambassador to Beijing David Perdue suggesting that President Donald Trump had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether he wanted to purchase American weapons.
In an interview on Sunday, Perdue said Trump repeatedly points out that the United States sells weapons to countries around the world, adding that the US president had asked Xi “at some point” whether he wanted to buy some of them. He also said the two leaders discuss arms sales whenever they meet.
Perdue did not clarify whether the question was raised during Trump and Xi’s meeting last week or at an earlier meeting. He also did not specify what types of weapons were discussed or the nature of any potential offer.
A US official, however, said the Trump administration has no plans to sell weapons to China. A second official said arms sales to Beijing are prohibited by law, stressing that no plans or offers had been made to China.
US arms sales to Taiwan remain one of the major points of contention between Washington and Beijing. Under US law, Washington is committed to providing Taiwan with the weapons necessary for its self-defense.
In December, Washington approved an $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan. Perdue said the package was larger than any approved by a US president since 1979.
China warned Taiwan in June that seeking independence “by relying on the United States or through military means is a dead end.” During his visit to Washington, Xi also renewed his warning to Trump over the Taiwan issue, urging the United States to explicitly declare its opposition to Taiwan independence.
Trump had suggested in May that a new weapons package for Taiwan could potentially be used as a negotiating tool with China.
Perdue’s remarks and the subsequent US denial come after a US-China summit at which Trump and Xi pledged to maintain communication and strengthen cooperation to avoid conflict.
Source: Agencies
