President Trump’s new ambassador to China, David Perdue, was sworn in to one of the nation’s most challenging diplomatic posts on Wednesday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an Oval Office ceremony.
Mr. Trump praised Mr. Perdue, citing his experience in Asian countries and in negotiating business deals with leaders in the region. He said he will be useful to help curb Chinese manufacturing of fentanyl chemicals, negotiate fair trade deals and crack down on Chinese military expansion.
“I am entrusting David to help manage one of America’s most complex and consequential foreign relationships and I know he’ll do a fantastic job,” Mr. Trump said.
“Say hello to President Xi when you are over there,” the president told Mr. Perdue.
After taking the oath, Mr. Perdue said he is proud to serve Mr. Trump and the nation in the post.
“I want the world to know that I know this man personally and he loves this country and I am glad to be your man in China,” Mr. Perdue said of the president during the ceremony.
The swearing-in ceremony took place one day after Mr. Perdue, a former U.S. Senator from Georgia, was confirmed in a 67-29 Senate vote that included some Democratic support.
The position will land Mr. Perdue at the forefront of the administration’s efforts to smooth over a relationship with Beijing that has been damaged by Mr. Trump’s trade conflicts and increasing concerns over China’s military aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
Since Mr. Trump selected Mr. Perdue for the slot in December, the president slapped 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate by charging 125% tariffs on U.S. products, with no sign of an immediate thaw. Top officials from both nations will meet in Switzerland for talks this weekend.
The Trump administration has argued that the high tariffs will not be sustainable for the Chinese economy and will force Beijing to reach a deal. However, Chinese leadership has vowed to “fight to the end” and has started readjusting its economy to reduce its reliance on the U.S.
During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Perdue said Beijing is waging “a new kind of war” against the U.S. He said curbing China’s exports of precursor chemicals to Mexico, which cartels process into fentanyl, will be one of his top priorities as ambassador.
“Our approach to China should be nuanced, nonpartisan and strategic,” Mr. Perdue said at the time.
Mr. Perdue served as a Republican senator from Georgia from 2015 to 2021 and is a vocal supporter of Mr. Trump.
During Mr. Perdue’s time in the U.S. Senate, he served on the Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, the only Republican serving at the time on both panels.
Before his career in politics, Mr. Perdue worked in Singapore and Hong Kong as a top executive with Sara Lee and in Europe with shoemaker Reebok, where he eventually became the CEO. He also ran the Dollar General chain of family discount stores.
While at Dollar General, he pushed for the chain store’s aggressive expansion into China, and while working at Sara Lee, he used Hong Kong as a base.
Mr. Perdue is the third Georgia Republican who ran for Senate in 2020 to earn a key position in Mr. Trump’s administration. Mr. Trump has tapped former Sen. Kelly Loeffler to run the Small Business Administration and picked former Rep. Doug Collins to head the Veterans Affairs Department.
After Mr. Perdue’s defeat to Democrat Jon Ossoff in a 2021 runoff, he waged a doomed primary challenge against Gov. Brian Kemp, also a Republican, at Mr. Trump’s behest.
Mr. Perdue lost handily in the gubernatorial primary, being defeated by more than 50 percentage points. During the primary, Mr. Kemp dubbed Mr. Perdue “Beijing Dave” for shifting manufacturing jobs overseas.
