WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and US officials denied discussing or planning a weapons sale to China after Ambassador David Perdue suggested Trump had offered one to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Perdue told Fox News on Sunday that Trump had asked Xi whether China wanted to buy US arms. He gave no further details and did not say how Xi responded.
Asked about the remarks on Monday, Trump said he had not discussed a sale with Xi. He suggested Perdue may have meant Taiwan.
The US State Department separately told ABC News that US law prohibits arms sales to China and that it had made no offer or plan for one.
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Perdue’s comments followed Trump and Xi’s meeting in Washington last week. His account of a question to Xi conflicts with Trump’s denial; neither provided further detail about the exchange.
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Taiwan is a separate arms sales issue. The Trump administration has paused a proposed $14 billion weapons package for the island, while Perdue said it was not denying Taiwan the arms it needs for defence.
