After its ambassador's statements.. Washington denies any plans to sell weapons to China
Amman2 min read
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US officials denied the existence of any plans or offers to sell weapons to China, following statements by US Ambassador to Beijing David Berdeaux, who said that President Donald Trump asked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy US weapons.
Berdeaux said in an interview on Sunday that Trump reiterates that the United States sells weapons to other countries in the world, adding that the US President asked Xi 'at some point' if he wanted to buy some of them, and that the two leaders talk about arms sales every time they meet.
Berdeaux did not clarify whether the question was asked during Trump and Xi's meeting last week or during a previous meeting, nor did he specify the type of weapons or the nature of the offer.
In contrast, a US official said that the Trump administration has no plans to sell weapons to China, while a second official explained that arms sales to Beijing are legally prohibited, confirming that there are no plans or offers made to it.
US arms sales to Taiwan are one of the most prominent points of contention between Washington and Beijing, while the United States is legally committed to providing Taiwan with the weapons necessary to defend itself.
In December, Washington approved an $11.1 billion arms deal for Taiwan, and Berdeaux said it exceeds what any other US president has provided since 1979.
China warned Taiwan in June that seeking independence 'by relying on the United States or through military means is a dead end,' while Xi renewed his warning to Trump on the island issue during his visit to Washington, urging the United States to explicitly declare its opposition to Taiwan's independence.
In May, Trump hinted at the possibility of using a new package of weapons for Taiwan as a bargaining chip with China.
Berdeaux's statements and the US denial come after a US-China summit during which Trump and Xi pledged to continue communication and enhance cooperation to avoid conflict.
