New US ambassador, former senator and business executive David Perdue, arrives in China
May 15, 2025, 1:21 AM
David Perdue and Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen as President Donald Trump speaks before Perdue was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to China during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
BEIJING (AP) — The new U.S. ambassador to China, former senator and business executive David Perdue, arrived in Beijing on 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 and had a mixed record when it came to business success and worker and shareholder satisfaction. A Republican, he served as a senator from Georgia from 2015 to 2021.
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.
