WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on September 28 denied reports that he offered to sell American weapons to Chinese President Xi Jinping, contradicting claims made by the U.S. ambassador to China.

David Perdue, the U.S. ambassador, told Fox News on September 27 that Trump had made an unusual proposal to Xi during the Chinese leader’s recent state visit to Washington. According to Perdue, the offer was in response to Beijing’s concerns about American arms sales to Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its territory.

“I’ve never heard of that one. I’m going to have to ask him,” Trump said during a briefing in the Oval Office when asked about Perdue’s statement. He added that China might be interested because “we do make better equipment than them,” but denied any discussion had taken place.

Perdue explained that Trump raised the idea by noting that the United States sells arms globally and asked Xi if China would like to purchase some. The ambassador also said that discussions about arms sales arise repeatedly in conversations between the two leaders but emphasized that U.S. policy regarding Taiwan remains unchanged.

A U.S. official separately told AFP there are no plans to sell weapons to China, directly dismissing Perdue’s remarks.

Taiwan has long been a sensitive issue in U.S.-China relations. The United States is legally obligated to provide defensive arms to Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province. Earlier this year, Washington approved a $1.1 billion arms deal for Taiwan—the largest under any U.S. president since 1979—while suspending a separate $1.4 billion weapons purchase in May, with Trump calling the pause a potential “negotiating chip” in dealings with China.

During Xi’s visit to Washington, the Chinese leader reiterated warnings that efforts toward Taiwanese independence, especially if supported by the United States, would be futile. Xi urged Trump to adopt a cautious approach and to explicitly oppose Taiwan’s independence.

Trump has declined to confirm whether Taiwan was discussed during Xi’s visit, instead highlighting his generally positive rapport with the Chinese president. The two leaders have met twice in 2026, including Trump’s trip to Beijing in May. They have scheduled two additional meetings: at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November, and at the Group of 20 forum at Trump’s Doral resort in Miami in December.