Perdue

US ambassador to China David Perdue says President Trump asked Xi Jinping whether Beijing would be interested in buying American weapons. The remarks surfaced after a Taiwanese minister described the military threat from Beijing as severe, prompting debate about US-China arms sales and what the offer could mean for Taiwan's security and Washington's policy toward the island.

The U.S. government has stated it has no plans to sell weapons to China, walking back comments attributed to Perdue that had raised questions about American arms policy toward Beijing. The clarification came quickly, underscoring the sensitivity of U.S.-China relations and the close attention any remarks about military cooperation with China receive in Washington and abroad.