The contradiction follows comments by US Ambassador to China David Perdue on Fox News Sunday, who said Trump had asked Xi if China wanted to buy armaments because the US sells to many other countries. White House and State Department officials subsequently informed the Wall Street Journal that US law prohibits weapons sales to China and no such plan exists. These disclosures come while a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan has yet to be finalized.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Story
Trump Denies Offering US Weapons to China After Ambassador Claim
Geopolitics22 days ago
American military equipment is superior to that of China, making it a desirable purchase for President Xi Jinping, Donald Trump told reporters on September 28. He then rejected claims that he had previously offered to sell such hardware to Beijing, stating he "never heard" of that scenario and insisted he did not discuss any such deal during meetings with the Chinese leader.
Looking for more context or analysis?
Tilt chat provides reliable, tailored insights, alerts, and automations.