US ambassador says Trump asked Xi to buy American weapons

September 28, 2026 at 12:05 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

US Ambassador to China David Perdue said President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether he wanted to buy American weapons during their September 24 meeting in Washington. Perdue also said the US has approved $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan and is discussing new deals. The remarks came even as US law prohibits arms exports to China.

Key Facts

US Ambassador David Perdue said Trump asked Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American weapons during their September 24 meeting in Washington.
The US has approved $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan and is discussing new deals, Perdue said on Fox News.
US law prohibits the export or re-export of defense products and services to China under ITAR rules.
The White House has delayed approval of a new arms package for Taiwan worth about $14 billion.
In 2024, Boeing agreed to pay $51 million to the State Department for 199 export violations, including unauthorized transfer of technical data to Chinese citizens.

Ambassador's Remarks

Perdue made the comments in an interview with Fox News when asked whether Washington was limiting arms supplies to Taiwan to improve relations with Beijing. He called that assumption "absolutely false" and said Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan arms supplies at every meeting. Perdue quoted Trump as saying, "Hey, we sell weapons to other people all over the world," and then asking Xi if he wanted to buy some.

Taiwan Arms Sales

During his state visit to Washington, Xi urged Trump to limit support for Taiwan and demanded that the US explicitly oppose the island's independence, Bloomberg reported. After the talks, Trump said they did not spend much time on the issue because Xi "understands very well" his position. The White House has postponed approval of a new arms package for Taiwan worth about $14 billion, and Trump previously called the deal a "very good bargaining chip."

Export Restrictions

China is a prohibited destination under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and US authorities do not issue permits for export or re-export of defense products and services to China. The restrictions also cover the transfer of military technology. In 2024, the State Department reached a $51 million settlement with Boeing over 199 export violations, including unauthorized transfer of technical data to Chinese citizens.