On Sunday, September 27, Ambassador David Perdue, the U.S. envoy to Beijing, made a statement on Fox News suggesting that former President Donald Trump had once considered selling American weapons to China. Perdue said that Trump reportedly mentioned to Chinese President Xi Jinping that the U.S. sells weapons to countries worldwide and even asked if China would be interested in purchasing some. However, Perdue did not clarify whether such a conversation had actually taken place during Xi’s recent visit to Washington. The White House swiftly denied the claim on Monday, and Trump himself stated that he "had never heard of this," though he left the door open by suggesting that China might be interested in U.S. weapons due to their quality. "We didn’t talk about it," he added during a press briefing. Marc Julienne, director of the Asia Center at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), called the idea of U.S. arms sales to China "strategically irrational." China is seen as the U.S.'s primary rival in economic, diplomatic, and military matters. With the fastest-growing military in the world, China poses a significant challenge to U.S. influence. Julienne noted that the "Thucydides trap," a concept referring to the risk of conflict between an established power and an ascending one, was mentioned by Xi during his visit to Washington. He emphasized the need for peaceful coexistence between the two nations despite their differences. A U.S. arms sale to China would risk sensitive technology leaking to allies of Beijing, such as Iran and Russia, and undermine U.S. strategic interests in the region. Since 1989, arms sales to China have been illegal in the United States due to a federal law passed by Congress in 1990. This law, known as the Jackson-Vanik amendment, suspends export authorizations to China for defense items listed on the U.S. Munitions List. While the U.S. president has the authority to lift this suspension, it has never been activated. The U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) also prohibits the export, re-export, or retransfer of defense articles and services to China. Julienne noted that the U.S. has a comprehensive legal framework to prevent China from acquiring weapons or components used in their production. He criticized Perdue’s remarks as revealing a "skills deficit" and a lack of understanding of U.S. law, interests, and historical relations with China. Perdue, a businessman turned senator who was appointed ambassador by Trump, has no formal diplomatic experience. Julienne warned that the ambiguous statements from the ambassador could confuse U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, such as Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan, which rely on Washington for security against Chinese influence. Taiwan, which Beijing claims sovereignty over, sees the U.S. as its main ally and a key supplier of weapons. The Taiwan Relations Act, enacted in 1979, allows the U.S. to provide Taiwan with defensive arms. Perdue denied any change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, stating that the Trump administration had sold more weapons to the island than any other president since 1979. In December, Washington approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, but a $14 billion deal was delayed after Trump’s visit to China. Trump had described the issue as a potential "negotiation tool" with Beijing. Craig Singleton of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies said Perdue’s remarks reflect Trump’s "highly transactional" approach to diplomacy, treating tariffs and weapons as tools for negotiation. Evan Sankey of the Cato Institute called the idea of U.S. arms sales to China a "stunning policy reversal" and noted that it highlights Trump’s focus on commercial interests, even at the expense of U.S. military strength in Asia.