The Senate confirmed former Republican Georgia Sen. David Perdue as the new U.S. ambassador to China.
Perdue, who has business experience in Asia, including China, will be on the front lines in Beijing of the fraught U.S.-China trade relationship and will need to navigate tensions due to tariff escalations.
The Senate confirmed Perdue in a 67-29 vote on Tuesday afternoon.
Perdue, who was in the Senate from 2015 to 2021, lived in Hong Kong during part of his four-decade business career. He has taken steps to recast himself as a staunch advocate of hard-line U.S. policy toward China, particularly in alignment with the Trump administration’s approach.
Previously, Perdue’s business dealings involved outsourcing jobs to China. He has distanced himself from this past, focusing instead on the threats posed by China’s global ambitions.
During his confirmation hearing, Perdue criticized China’s trade practices, highlighting problems such as intellectual property theft and market manipulation. He argued that the United States had ceded its competitive advantage in strategic industries to China, compromising national security.
Lawmakers steered clear of pressing Perdue during the hearing on his past criticism of President Donald Trump’s sweeping 2018 tariffs on goods such as washing machines and steel, when he had called for “a more targeted approach” to U.S.-China trade.
During Trump’s first 100 days, he has significantly escalated trade tensions with China, implementing aggressive tariff policies that have led to economic disruptions and heightened geopolitical friction.
Earlier in April, Trump announced a sweeping tariff initiative known as “Liberation Day,” imposing a baseline 10% tariff on all imports and additional country-specific tariffs. This brought the total tariff rate on Chinese imports to 145%. China retaliated with tariffs reaching 125% on U.S. goods, intensifying the conflict.
Trump has indicated a willingness to negotiate over tariffs on Chinese goods. However, China’s Foreign Ministry has denied that any negotiations are taking place.
Elected in 2014, Perdue completed a single Senate term, in which he became known for championing pro-business initiatives and advocating strict fiscal policies. His time in office ended after he was defeated by Democrat Jon Ossoff in a 2021 runoff.
In 2022, Trump persuaded Perdue to challenge sitting Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), aiming to retaliate against Kemp for upholding Georgia’s 2020 election results. However, Perdue suffered a decisive primary defeat.
CHINA AND US DISPUTE WHETHER TRUMP-XI CALL HAPPENED
During his first term, Trump appointed former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as ambassador to China, hoping Branstad’s long-standing relationships with Chinese leaders during his time in Iowa, including with President Xi Jinping before his rise to power, would ease trade tensions. Despite those connections, the U.S. and China descended into a trade fight.