A reported offer to sell American weapons to China lands badly for Taiwan and for anyone worried about US military readiness, and looks good mainly for defense contractors.

• US ambassador David Purdue said on TV that Trump asked Xi Jinping whether China wanted to buy American arms; Trump denies it.
• Meanwhile a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, already approved, is sitting unshipped at the State Department.
• The US has burned through much of its missile interceptor stockpile supporting Israel and the Iran conflict, and replacing it could take five years.
• China is still buying Iranian oil and refused US demands to block Iranian flights, with no sanctions threat aimed its way.
• The money angle: arms sales to China would enrich defense contractors and companies with big China exposure, like Elon Musk's.

Outlook: Taiwan's arms package looks likely to stay frozen while Trump avoids friction with Beijing ahead of the midterms.