President-elect Donald Trump announced that former Senator David Perdue, a Republican from Georgia, has agreed to be nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to China. The nomination will need to be approved by the Senate.
Trump praised Perdue’s experience, highlighting his 40-year career in international business, his time as a Fortune 500 CEO, and his service in the U.S. Senate. Perdue has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong and worked extensively in China and Asia. Trump said Perdue would play a key role in maintaining peace and strengthening ties with China.
The relationship between the U.S. and China is often called the world’s most important, as the two countries are the largest economies. In recent years, tensions have grown over issues like trade, technology, human rights, and Taiwan. Both President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have tried to ease these tensions, despite ongoing disputes.
Trump, who starts his second term in January, previously launched a trade war with China. He has promised to impose tariffs of 60% or more on Chinese goods and recently said he’d add a 10% tariff if China doesn’t take stronger action to stop the global flow of chemicals used to make fentanyl.
David Perdue has experience dealing with China. In 2018, he visited the country as part of a congressional trip. Afterward, he and other senators wrote about the need for the U.S. to better compete with China’s growing economic and political power. They warned against underestimating China, saying it could lead to missed opportunities or serious mistakes.
Perdue, 74, served as a senator from Georgia from 2015 to 2021. He was on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees. Before politics, he had a long corporate career, including serving as the CEO of Reebok, Dollar General, and other companies.
After losing his Senate seat in 2020 to Democrat Jon Ossoff, Perdue ran for governor in 2022 with Trump’s backing but lost to Governor Brian Kemp in the Republican primary.
Trump expressed confidence in Perdue, calling him a loyal supporter and friend.
The current U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, recently noted that U.S.-China competition remains a major challenge and will likely continue for years. Chinese President Xi Jinping has also expressed a commitment to working toward stable relations with the U.S.