US President Donald Trump sought to downplay Washington’s pending arms sale to Taiwan during discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying that the United States sells weapons to countries around the world and even asking whether China would be interested in purchasing 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 said in a television interview.
Perdue made the remarks days after Trump hosted Xi for a state visit in Washington. He did not say when the exchange took place or provide additional details.
The comments came as Taiwan continues to await approval from Washington for a proposed arms package valued at around $14 billion. Taiwan has been seeking to strengthen its defences amid concerns over a potential conflict with China.
Asked whether the US was delaying weapons sales to Taiwan to avoid provoking Beijing, Perdue rejected the suggestion. He said Trump remained strongly committed to Taiwan and had already approved significant weapons sales to the island.
Trump has also sought to portray Taiwan as a less prominent source of tension in his recent discussions with Beijing. Speaking to reporters, he said Taiwan did not feature extensively in his latest meeting with Xi.
Trump and Xi met at the White House last week as Washington and Beijing attempted to stabilise relations following months of tensions over trade, technology and other geopolitical issues.
The meeting resulted in an extension of a US-China trade truce, while disagreements over Taiwan, artificial intelligence and Iran remained unresolved.
Taiwan Arms Package Remains Pending
Taiwan has been waiting for months for Washington to approve a proposed arms package worth approximately $14 billion. The proposal follows an $11 billion weapons deal announced in December.
The latest package was reportedly put on hold after Trump met Xi in Beijing in May. Trump has not indicated whether the proposed sale will proceed following their latest meeting.
Trump had previously described arms sales to Taiwan as a potential negotiating tool in discussions with China.
Beijing has repeatedly called on Washington to stop selling weapons to Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. China has also consistently identified Taiwan as a major issue in its dealings with the United States.
According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Xi urged Trump to handle the Taiwan issue cautiously and called on Washington to oppose Taiwan independence. The White House did not immediately issue its own detailed account of the discussion on Taiwan.
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said Washington was well aware of the island’s defence requirements and the military pressure it faces from China.
“Taiwan faces a severe situation in the Taiwan Strait,” Chen said, adding that China continued to invest significant resources in expanding its military capabilities.
Chen said Taiwan remained in regular communication with US officials and believed Washington understood both its security situation and its commitment to defence spending.
He also said Taiwan had repeatedly received assurances from Washington that US policy toward the island had not changed. Perdue separately said there had been no change in Trump’s Taiwan policy, including his position on arms sales.
US Balances Relations With China and Taiwan
Under US law, Washington is required to provide Taiwan with the means to maintain its self-defence capabilities. The United States does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent country, but it remains the island’s principal informal security partner and a major source of military equipment.
At the same time, successive US administrations have maintained uncertainty over whether the United States would intervene militarily if China launched an attack on Taiwan.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes US military support for the island. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and maintains that decisions about its future should be determined by its people.
