The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed longtime China critic David Perdue as the next US ambassador to China, a crucial position at a time of heightened tensions and an ongoing tariff battle between the world’s two largest economies. Perdue, 75, a former US senator from Georgia and seasoned business executive, was approved in a 67-29 vote with some bipartisan support. Known for viewing China as a global threat, Perdue now joins President Donald Trump’s China team, which is already dominated by hardliners.
During his April confirmation hearing, Perdue emphasized that the US must take a “nuanced, non-partisan and strategic” approach to China, describing the bilateral relationship as “the most consequential diplomatic challenge of the 21st century.” Still, much of the hearing revisited his long-held view that Beijing is engaging in “a new kind of war” against the US and poses a threat to the “current world order.”
Following his confirmation, China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday restated its “consistent and clear” position on China-US relations and trade. Previously, the ministry had declared China would “fight to the end” but kept the “door open” for dialogue, provided it is based on “equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity.”
When nominating Perdue in December, Trump described him as “instrumental” to preserving peace and fostering “a productive working relationship” with Chinese leaders. Trump also called Perdue “a loyal supporter and friend” in a social media post.
A 2019 report from the Beijing-based Grandview Institution labeled Perdue “anti-China” after he took on the key maritime role, warning that his appointment reflected a “growing trend of maritime containment against China that cannot be overlooked.” The report described him as “a proponent and practitioner” of the “China threat” theory, “a prominent hawkish representative” on defense and diplomacy, and “a sharp-minded businessman with a knack for crisis management.”
Beyond trade disputes, Washington and Beijing are also clashing over China’s military buildup and its pressure on Taiwan and US allies in the Indo-Pacific. While most nations, including the US, do not officially recognize Taiwan as independent, Washington opposes any attempt to seize the island by force and continues to supply it with weapons.
At his hearing, Perdue affirmed the US commitment to the one-China policy and vowed that one of his main goals as ambassador would be to tackle China’s export of precursor chemicals to Mexico, which cartels use to manufacture fentanyl for smuggling into the US.
In a September article in the Washington Examiner, a US conservative publication, Perdue argued that China is waging a “New War” against the US — an “existential” conflict beyond conventional warfare or Cold War rhetoric, one that will “determine whether the free world will … remain free.” He also labeled Chinese President Xi Jinping a “modern-day emperor” and accused China of seeking to “destroy capitalism and democracy.”
