During an appearance on 'Fox News Sunday,' U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad confirmed that President Trump raised the possibility of selling U.S. weapons to China during meetings with President Xi Jinping. According to the Ambassador, the President’s inquiry was rooted in his broader foreign policy stance that the United States frequently sells arms to other nations globally.

While the report highlights the President's willingness to discuss such sales, it does not detail the specific response from the Chinese leadership or whether any formal negotiations were initiated. The report notes that the President’s suggestion was presented as a question to President Xi rather than a finalized policy proposal. The Hill’s reporting relies on the Ambassador’s account of these private diplomatic discussions to characterize the administration's approach to military-related trade with Beijing. There is a notable discrepancy in the source text provided, which identifies the Ambassador as 'David Perdue' rather than the actual U.S. Ambassador to China at the time, Terry Branstad, which may affect the accuracy of the reporting regarding the specific individual involved in the interview.