President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether China wanted to buy American weapons, the US ambassador to China said in comments reported on September 28.

Ambassador David Perdue said the question came up during discussions about US arms sales to Taiwan, long a source of friction between Washington and Beijing. He did not say how Xi responded to the unusual pitch.

The remark fits Trump’s transactional style of diplomacy, where he has repeatedly treated arms deals and trade terms as bargaining chips with rival powers. It also underscores how Taiwan’s defence remains the central fault line in the US-China relationship.

Beijing has not publicly confirmed the exchange. Analysts said any serious Chinese purchase of US weaponry remains implausible given decades of sanctions, mistrust and competing military doctrines on both sides.

The ambassador’s account could not be independently confirmed by other officials. China has long opposed US arms sales to Taiwan, viewing them as interference in its internal affairs, and the two sides remain far apart on the island’s future.