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President Trump has chosen David Perdue, a former senator who has denied the results of the election, to be the ambassador to China. Perdue would take on this important role during a time when the relationship between the United States and China is seen as extremely significant on a global scale.
Authored by Edward
Writing from the capital
David Perdue, a former senator from Georgia and businessman, has been nominated by President-elect Donald J. Trump to serve as the ambassador to China.
In an online post, Mr. Trump stated that the individual will play a key role in carrying out his plan to uphold peace in the region and establish a positive working partnership with leaders in China.
If approved by the Senate, Mr. Perdue will assume the role of ambassador, succeeding Nicholas Burns, an experienced diplomat and former Harvard professor. In this position, Mr. Perdue will act as a liaison between President Trump and Chinese officials in Beijing, specifically with Xi Jinping, the leader of China. Officials from both the Biden and initial Trump administrations have emphasized the significance of the U.S.-China relationship on a global scale.
Both nations are considered equals in terms of competition, as they have the two biggest economies and strongest militaries in the world. American officials believe that China is the only country capable of surpassing the United States as the leading nation globally.
The individuals chosen by Mr. Trump for key national security positions have discussed the idea of challenging and limiting China. These include Marco Rubio as the potential secretary of state, Michael Waltz as the selected national security adviser, and Pete Hegseth as the defense secretary nominee. Additionally, Peter Navarro, known for being critical of China, was appointed by Mr. Trump as a senior adviser focused on trade and manufacturing.
However, the individuals chosen by Mr. Trump for Treasury and Commerce secretary roles, Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, do not show strong hostility towards China. They have not shown strong support for universal tariffs, unlike some of Mr. Trump’s supporters. Mr. Trump has mentioned imposing high tariffs on Chinese goods and potentially revoking their preferred trade status, which would result in increased tariffs.
President Trump has complimented President Xi as a powerful and intelligent leader, referring to him as a very good friend.
From 2015 to 2021, Mr. Perdue served as a Senator representing Georgia until he was defeated by Jon Ossoff in the re-election. He raised doubts about the election outcome, condemned Georgia’s election officials, and backed a legal challenge by Trump supporters to reverse the 2020 results in Georgia, a crucial state in the presidential election. Despite Trump’s support, Mr. Perdue ran for the Republican nomination for governor of Georgia in 2022 against Brian Kemp but was decisively defeated in the primary.
During his time in the Senate, Mr. Perdue was known for being very active in trading stocks, which led to concerns about conflicts of interest. The Justice Department looked into allegations of insider trading when he sold over $1 million worth of stock in a financial company, but ultimately decided not to pursue charges.
Edward Wong covers topics related to worldwide events, the foreign policies of the United States, and the activities of the State Department. To learn more about Edward Wong, visit
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