David Perdue, the US ambassador to China, made a bold remark that could upset Washington.
He said US President Donald Trump offered to sell arms to China during President Xi's recent visit to Washington. According to Perdue, Trump justified the pending arms sale to Taiwan by downplaying it as just one of many sales Washington makes around the world.
Speaking to Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday, Perdue said Trump raised the prospect of arms sales to its geopolitical rival, which, if materialised, could upend generations of US policy toward China. It is also feared that doing so could potentially expose US technology to a foe. Perdue, however, did not specify when the offer was made.
The concerns raised by Republican and Democratic lawmakers over delayed aid packages and weapons orders to Taiwan featured in the Fox News show. The self-ruled democracy of Taiwan wants the US arms to defend itself from China's threat to invade it.
Bream asked Perdue if the US was denying Taiwan the arms that were promised to appease the Chinese president. According to the Chinese state media, during his private talks with Trump, Xi had reportedly pressed his host to oppose Taiwan independence.
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Perdue pushed back on the suggestion, stating that Trump “is as strong on Taiwan as I've ever seen anybody” and has sold it plenty of weapons. He added that Trump and Xi continue to talk about future US weapons sales to Taiwan.
“But President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world,’” Perdue said. “He actually asked President Xi, ‘Would he like to buy some,’ at one point.”
The US is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. While not recognising Taiwan as a country, the US is the island's strongest informal backer and arms provider. But multiple US leaders have left it ambiguous whether they would commit military force to defend the US ally should China invade.
China has pressed Washington to halt the arms sales, most prominently during a previous summit in May between Trump and Xi in Beijing. After that meeting, the United States paused the sale of a record-breaking $14 billion package — and Trump described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.
With inputs from AP via PTI
