China has refused to comment on the claim by US Ambassador to Beijing David Pardew that President Donald Trump has asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping whether his country would like to buy American weapons, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing is strengthening its defense capabilities according to its own needs. He stressed that China is committed to maintaining international peace and stability.
A day earlier, Pardew told “Fox News“ that Trump had explained to Xi that the US was selling weapons to various countries around the world, then asked him if China would be interested in buying American weapons. The ambassador did not specify when the conversation took place or how the Chinese president reacted.
The statement was made in the context of US arms sales to Taiwan - an issue that has long been a source of tension between Washington and Beijing. China considers the self-governing island as part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to establish control over it.
After Pardue's interview, US administration officials told the “Wall Street Journal“ that Washington has no plans to sell arms to China. According to them, such a deal would also be impossible from a legal point of view. They did not specify whether the conversation mentioned by Pardue took place during Xi's visit to the US last week or earlier.
In the meantime, Pardue also confirmed Washington's official position on the Taiwan issue: “We do not support independence and we do not support coercion“.