President Donald Trump has justified the pending U.S. arms sale to Taiwan to Chinese President Xi Jinping by downplaying it as just one of many sales Washington makes around the world – even asking Xi if he’d be in the market for US arms, Trump’s ambassador to China said on Sunday.
David Perdue said Trump raised the prospect of the arms sales from the US to its ascendant geopolitical rival, an unlikely offer that, if consummated, would upend generations of US policy toward China and Taiwan and potentially expose US technology to a potential foe.
In Beijing, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun did not confirm Perdue’s remarks when asked about the matter on Monday. US ambassador to China, David Perdue, on Sunday said that Trump asked his geopolitical rival if he would like to buy American weapons. Bream had cited concerns from Republican and Democratic lawmakers over delayed aid packages and weapons orders to Taiwan, the self-ruled democracy, to defend itself from China’s threat to invade the island. Bream asked if the US is denying arms to Taiwan to appease the Chinese president, who visited Trump last week. “He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some, at one point. China has maintained the claim that Taiwan was part of its territory. He did not say when Trump had made the proposal.
David Perdue said Trump raised the prospect of the arms sales from the US to its ascendant geopolitical rival, an unlikely offer that, if consummated, would upend generations of US policy toward China and Taiwan and potentially expose US technology to a potential foe. Perdue, speaking to Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” days after Trump hosted Xi for a state visit in Washington, didn’t specify when the offer was made. Perdue pushed back on the suggestion, stating that Trump “is as strong on Taiwan as I’ve ever seen anybody” and has sold it plenty of weapons. Perdue also said Trump and Xi continue to talk about future U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan. “But President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world,'” Perdue said. In their private talks at the White House last week, Xi pressed Trump to oppose Taiwan independence, according to Chinese state media. But he told reporters that China has always strengthened its national defense capabilities based on its needs, and is committed to maintaining world peace and stability. Earlier reporting noted: Did Trump offer arms deal to China’s Xi, says US envoy; reveals what led to the proposal US President Donald Trump offered an arms deal to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was on a visit to the United States last week. Earlier reporting noted: Speaking to Shannon Bream on ‘Fox News Sunday’, Perdue said the offer came in response to the Chinese president’s objection to sale of weapons to Taiwan, a democratically governed country. Earlier reporting noted: Talking about the Trump’s proposal to Xi, Perdue said, “He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some (arms), at one point.
