Trump disagrees with his ambassador over alleged arms sales to China
President Donald Trump has denied statements by US Ambassador to China David Perdue suggesting that arms were offered to the Chinese leader.
US President Donald Trump contradicted and rejected statements by US Ambassador to China David Perdue, who claimed he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether he wanted to purchase weapons from the United States.
The Ambassador's Statements
US Ambassador to China David Perdue stated during a television program he attended over the weekend that following the summit in Washington, President Trump had asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if he was interested in the US arms market.
Trump's Assessments
Expressing surprise in response to a reporter's question on Monday, President Donald Trump claimed that the ambassador had confused China with Taiwan.
Trump also stated that making such an offer to China might perhaps be a good idea, adding that he had never heard of such a discussion before.
Department of State Statement
In a statement on Monday, the US Department of State distanced the administration from Ambassador Perdue's remarks, clarifying that US law prohibits arms sales to China and that there are no plans in this direction.
Policy and Expert Views
Experts emphasized that selling weapons to the Beijing administration would lead to a major shift in current US policy, recalling that the country traditionally provides arms to Taiwan and prohibits sales to China.