President Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if he would like to buy American weapons during the communist politician’s three day trip to the States last week, according to U.S. Ambassador to China David Purdue.

The ambassador shared the surprising news during an interview on Fox News Sunday with anchor Shannon Bream.

“President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world.’ He actually asked President Xi if he would like to buy some, at one point,” Purdue said.

The comment came as he defended Trump’s relationship with Taiwan, with Purdue arguing Trump has “already sold 50% more arms to Taiwan than any other president since 1979.” He said Trump’s support for an independent Taiwan should not be questioned, before saying the president is always in deal-making mode, even when it comes to potentially selling arms to America’s biggest rival.

There have been serious questions about China possibly assisting Iran in the ongoing conflict. Earlier this summer, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified before Congress that Russia and China were enabling Iran — which Trump later denied.

“I trust them,” Trump said of Xi and Vladimir Putin.

One hurdle to Trump potentially selling arms to China: it would violate U.S. law. China is one of a handful of countries the U.S. has an arms embargo against, with those restrictions ratcheted up following the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.

In related news, Purdue said there were three “huge” takeaways from Xi’s visit when it came to the Iran war. He said Xi supported “no nuclear weapon in Iran,” an open Strait of Hormuz, and no tolls for it to happen.

Following Xi boarding his flight back to China, the president celebrated the summit in a Truth Social post, saying it was “one of Friendship, Strength, and Success, for both China and the U.S.A.”

Watch above.

The post Trump Offered to Sell American Weapons to China’s Xi Jinping, US Ambassador Says first appeared on Mediaite.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/paULvY8