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President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American weapons. The exchange happened during Xi’s visit to the United States last week. US Ambassador to China David Perdue described it in a Fox News interview. The Trump arms offer China story broke on September 28, 2026. It raises an immediate legal problem: China has been under a US arms embargo since 1989.
“President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world,'” Perdue said. “He actually asked President Xi if he would like to buy some, at one point.” Perdue did not say how Xi responded. The White House has not given its own account of the remark.
What Ambassador Perdue actually said
Perdue’s comments were reported by Euronews and The Hill. They came days after Xi’s trip to Washington. That trip was framed around trade talks. Photos of the two leaders together were taken on September 25, 2026. Trump later called the summit “one of Friendship, Strength, and Success,” Perdue said.
Perdue’s remarks were meant to defend the administration’s China policy. They were not a criticism of it. He argued that Trump has sold Taiwan “50% more arms” than any other president since 1979. Those figures come from Perdue himself. They have not been checked against Pentagon arms-sale data.
Why a Trump arms offer China would break US law
The United States has barred arms sales to China since June 1989. Congress and the White House imposed the embargo after the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Every administration since has kept it in place, Republican and Democratic alike. It covers weapons, defense articles, and related technology. Lifting it would require an act of Congress. No lawmaker has seriously proposed that.
That legal reality is why Perdue’s account reads like a passing remark. It does not look like a real negotiating position. Nothing in the public record shows China formally asked for US weapons. No official has described a concrete deal under discussion.
The Taiwan question hangs over the Trump arms offer China episode
The bigger worry for Taiwan is not that Washington might arm Beijing. It is that Trump has floated Taiwan arms packages as a bargaining chip before. Washington approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan in December 2025. Perdue cited that package as proof the administration has not gone soft on Taipei. Still, analysts who track cross-strait tensions have flagged a risk. Treating Taiwan’s defense needs as leverage, even in passing, can send Beijing an unwelcome signal.
What happens next
No legislative or executive action has followed Perdue’s remarks so far. Congress would need to act before any arms sale to China could move forward. There is no sign that process has begun. Trade talks between Washington and Beijing continue on a separate track. Those cover tariffs and technology exports, not weapons.
Watch for two things. First, whether the White House confirms or walks back Perdue’s account. Second, whether Taiwan’s government responds in public. Taipei has stayed quiet so far. A formal reaction would mark a shift in tone.
Frequently asked questions
Did Trump actually offer to sell weapons to China?
According to US Ambassador David Perdue, Trump asked Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy American weapons during Xi’s September 2026 visit. The White House has not confirmed or denied the account on its own.
Is it legal for the US to sell arms to China?
No. A US arms embargo on China has been in place since 1989, after the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Congress would have to lift that embargo before any sale could proceed.
What does this mean for Taiwan?
Nothing has changed in US arms sales to Taiwan so far. Washington approved an $11.1 billion package in December 2025. Analysts worry that Trump has floated Taiwan arms deals as leverage with Beijing, not that Taiwan’s support is ending.
When did Xi Jinping visit the United States?
Xi’s visit and meetings with Trump took place around September 25, 2026, based on photos and reporting from that week.
Has China responded to the reported offer?
No official Chinese statement has addressed Perdue’s comments as of this writing.
Related coverage on Tamara News
For more on the broader US-China relationship, see our coverage of the Trump-Xi trade summit, the Nvidia chip export loophole to China, and the Venezuela envoy’s Washington visit.
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