US officials deny plans to sell weapons to China after ambassador's remarks

arms sales US-China relations Donald Trump Xi Jinping Taiwan weapons

US Ambassador to China David Perdue has disclosed that President Donald Trump reportedly asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if China would be interested in purchasing American weapons. Perdue noted that Trump frequently mentions US arms sales to other nations and suggested this inquiry occurred during discussions between the two leaders.

Following these remarks, the White House and US officials have issued denials regarding any formal plans or proposals to sell weapons to China. Officials emphasized that US law strictly prohibits such transactions, serving as a legal barrier to any potential arms deals with Beijing.

The disclosure comes amid ongoing tensions regarding US arms sales to Taiwan. While Perdue defended the administration's steadfast support for Taiwan and the One China policy, he also addressed other diplomatic friction points. These include warnings to China regarding military support for Iran and the establishment of a new bilateral dialogue mechanism to manage risks associated with superintelligence and advanced artificial intelligence.

Entities

China · David Perdue · Donald Trump · United States · Xi Jinping

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Trump warned China against providing military support or intelligence to Iran. www.voachinese.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Trump asked Xi Jinping about potential US arms purchases. www.businessdaily.gr · cn.nytimes.com · www.voachinese.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The US government has no plans or proposals to sell weapons to China. www.sbctv.gr · sputniknews.cn · cn.nytimes.com · www.voachinese.com
[● 3 SOURCES] US law prohibits the sale of weapons to China. www.sbctv.gr · sputniknews.cn · cn.nytimes.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Trump administration maintains its support for Taiwan and the One China policy. www.voachinese.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The US and China have agreed to create a dialogue mechanism for superintelligence and AI risks. www.voachinese.com