U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he has chosen former Sen. David Perdue as ambassador to China, tapping a former politician with business experience to steer a relationship marked by deep mistrust and trade tensions.
“He will be instrumental in executing my strategy to maintain peace in the region and a productive working relationship with China's leaders,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump, who takes office on January 20, 2025, has said he’ll impose a further 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless Beijing does more to stop trade within the highly addictive narcotic fentanyl.
During the election campaign, he also threatened tariffs of over 60% on Chinese goods.
Perdue, a Georgia Republican who served within the Senate from 2015 to 2021, previously lived in Hong Kong during his 40-year business profession.
Perdue's nomination represents a return to the practice of sending former politicians to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, a typical practice in recent many years, after President Joe Biden hired veteran profession diplomat Nicholas Burns in 2021.
Trump has nominated China hardliners for other senior positions in his administration, including Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state. This is an indication that its policies toward the United States' essential strategic rival could transcend trade measures.
In his first term as president, Trump appointed former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as his ambassador to China. Branstad sought to make use of his relationships with Chinese officials, including Xi Jinping before he became China's supreme leader, to assist manage trade tensions. Yet each side plunged headlong into an unprecedented trade war.
The ambassador's role within the strained bilateral relationship stays to be seen. Some analysts say Beijing will likely seek direct cooperation at a presidential or senior level with Trump and his closest advisers to administer the virtually certain return of trade tensions.
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