New US ambassador, former senator and business executive arrives in Beijing

David Perdue during his sworn in ceremony at the White House, May 7

The new U.S. ambassador to China, former senator and business executive David Perdue, arrived in Beijing Thursday as China and the U.S. reached a temporary break in the damaging tariff war.

“It is an honor to represent President Trump as the U.S. Ambassador to China,” Perdue wrote on X. “I am ready to get to work here and make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”

Perdue, 75, worked as an executive in firms varying from clothing to logistics. A Republican, he served as a senator from Georgia from 2015 to 2021 and ran for Georgia governor in 2022.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China was ready to “provide convenience” for Perdue to perform his duties in China.

“We have always viewed and handled China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. We hope the US side will work with China in the same direction,” Lin said at a daily news briefing.

The U.S. reached a weekend deal with China to reduce the sky-high tariffs on each other’s goods, something U.S. President Donald Trump has referred to as a victory.

The U.S. agreed to cut the 145% tax Trump imposed last month to 30%. China agreed to lower its tariff rate on U.S. goods to 10% from 125%. The lower tariff rates came into effect on Wednesday.

Worldwide, the markets have responded to the agreement with gusto, rebounding to the levels before Trump’s tariffs, but many business owners remain wary.

Along with tariffs and China’s massive trade surplus with the U.S., the two have tangled over security in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety, a claim the U.S. does not recognize. The U.S. has also been a harsh critic of China’s crackdown on civil rights in minority areas and Hong Kong and is a strong supporter of Taiwan.

With the 90-day tariff suspension being a notable exception, relations have hit lows not seen in decades. A reminder of that was Perdue’s predecessor NIcholas Burns’ order this year banning American government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens, a throwback to the Cold War.

China has also backed Russia following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has purchased Russian oil and gas and provided an economic lifeline for Moscow while its electronics exports have furnished many of the parts for Russian drones used to attack Ukrainian targets.

Perdue was confirmed by the Senate on April 29, 2025. While in the Senate, he served on the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Banking, Budget, and Agriculture committees. He also chaired the Subcommittees on Sea Power and State Department Oversight and “traveled extensively to strengthen U.S. partnerships across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe,” according to his official biography. MDT/AP