Brief

Trump asks China’s Xi if he wants U.S. arms, ambassador says

During a three‑day U.S.–China summit, Trump reportedly asked Xi Jinping if he was interested in purchasing U.S. arms, according to Ambassador David Purdue.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:37:50 GMT

During a three‑day U.S.–China summit in Washington, President Donald Trump reportedly asked Chinese President Xi Jinping if he was interested in buying American weapons, U.S. Ambassador to China David Purdue said on Fox News Sunday. Purdue said the remark was made while Trump was defending the pending U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, noting that the president has sold more arms to Taiwan than any previous U.S. president since 1979.

Purdue explained that Trump often points out that the United States sells arms to many countries around the world, and at one point directly asked Xi if he would be in the market for U.S. arms. The comment came as Purdue was pushing back against criticism of Trump’s approach to Taiwan, framing the president as someone who is constantly looking to make deals, even with a country considered America’s top rival.

Trump’s remarks were made in the context of a broader U.S. strategy that has seen a shift from tariffs to engagement with China, highlighted by a recent state dinner and a trade truce that extends until January 2027. The summit also covered artificial intelligence, the Iran conflict and military communication, but yielded few concrete policy breakthroughs.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has been preparing for the arrival of two giant pandas from Chengdu to Zoo Atlanta, a diplomatic gesture that follows the Xi‑Trump summit. The bears, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will be on a ten‑year loan as part of China’s long‑standing panda diplomacy program.

Key facts

U.S. Ambassador David Purdue said Trump asked Xi if he wanted U.S. arms (timesnownews.com)
Trump has sold more arms to Taiwan than any president since 1979 (timesnownews.com)
The U.S. and China extended a trade truce until January 2027 during the summit

Background

The exchange took place during a summit that also saw a state dinner hosted by Trump for Xi, a shift from Trump’s earlier tariff‑heavy approach to a more diplomatic stance. The summit’s discussions included AI, the Iran conflict and military communication, but produced few concrete policy outcomes.