U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue stated on Sunday, September 27, 2026, that President Donald Trump proposed selling American weapons to China during recent meetings with President Xi Jinping. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Perdue reported that Trump asked Xi if he would like to purchase arms, noting that the U.S. sells weapons to various other nations. The proposal follows the conclusion of Xi’s state visit to Washington on Friday, September 25, 2026.
The offer occurred amid ongoing diplomatic discussions regarding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is legally bound to provide Taiwan with defensive means, a policy China opposes. Sources briefed on the matter told Reuters that Xi was expected to press Trump to halt these sales, citing a 1982 joint statement where the U.S. expressed intent to gradually reduce such transactions. Conversely, the U.S. maintains that this reduction is conditioned on China's commitment to a peaceful resolution regarding Taiwan's status.
U.S. officials reported that Trump has been holding a proposed $14 billion arms package for Taiwan in "abeyance," describing it as a negotiating chip. This follows an $11 billion package approved in December 2025. During the recent summit, the U.S. and China reached agreements on other fronts, including a $30 billion tariff cut on goods and a commitment to hold a dialogue regarding artificial intelligence.
The exchange also impacts U.S. alliances and diplomatic strategy. Sources indicated that China offered to pressure Iran regarding Middle East conflicts in exchange for a cessation of U.S. arms deliveries to Taiwan. This creates a direct link between security policy in East Asia and stability in the Middle East, potentially affecting the risk profile for U.S. service members stationed in both regions. For the American public, the $30 billion tariff cut announced during the same visit may result in lower costs for imported goods, though the source does not specify a timeline for when these price changes would be noticed at the retail level.
What happens next depends on Trump's forthcoming determination on the $14 billion Taiwan arms package, which a White House official said would be made in a "fairly short time." Diplomatic engagement is scheduled to continue through the end of the year, with Trump and Xi slated to meet again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November 2026 and at the Group of 20 Summit in Miami in December 2026. These meetings will likely serve as the venue for further negotiations on trade, AI dialogue, and regional security.