Trump Denies Offering Arms to China's Xi
Donald Trump strongly counters his own ambassador's claim of an extraordinary weapons offer made during President Xi Jinping's White House state visit.
Washington DC: Trump denies he offered to sell weapons to Xi, directly countering the claim made by his own diplomatic envoy.
US President Donald Trump strongly rejected assertions that he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American military equipment during a recent state visit to the White House.
The public contradiction emerged after US Ambassador to China David Perdue told Fox News that Trump pitched the idea to the rival superpower.
Perdue claimed the offer was made to address Beijing's ongoing concerns regarding Washington's separate arms sales to self-ruled Taiwan.
Addressing reporters in the Oval Office, Trump dismissed the story by stating he had never heard of it and that the topic was never discussed.
Backing the president's stance, a State Department spokesperson clarified that federal law explicitly prohibits weapons sales to China and no plans exist for such transactions.
This confusion highlights the delicate diplomatic balancing act surrounding Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory and views as a major point of contention with Washington.
