Former Georgia Republican Sen. David Purdue was sworn in as Chinese ambassador on Wednesday, and President Donald Trump spoke about the timing of the ceremony as trade talks between the two countries begin.
“We are the next ambassador of the People’s Republic of China. What timing, David. What timing? It was because Trump was able to choose this timing, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who prepared to swear Purdue.
The Senate confirmed Padoo on April 29 with 67-29 votes. His oath comes when China and the United States will begin to launch trade talks following Trump’s tariffs on the country in recent months.
“Our new ambassador brings lifelong experience to this position at the highest level of business and politics,” Trump said. “And he’s at the highest level. For over 40 years in the business, he led several major American companies, including the president and CEO of footwear giant Reebok. We worked together.”
Scott Bescent says he doesn’t want to separate himself from China ahead of a scheduled meeting with his Chinese counterpart
China’s new US ambassador David Purdue (R) will speak at the oath ceremony as he notes at the White House oval office on May 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Trump added that Perdue “watch out to President XI when he’s there.”
The Trump administration levelled tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% as the president aims to bring equality to the chronic trade deficit with foreign countries. Trump suspended mutual tariff plans in dozens of countries on April 2 as he called on the administration to carry out trade transactions on April 2, but he increased China’s positive as he denounced Trump’s trade policy with his own tariffs, including a 125% liability tax on US goods.
At the meeting at the Chinese President Xi Jinping Conference. (Minh Hoang/AP)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with Chinese counterparts over the weekend in Switzerland to discuss economic issues, Bessent said Tuesday in Fox News.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt looks at the secretary of U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent during his daily briefing in the White House Brady Briefing Room on April 29, 2025.
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“We share profits,” Bescent said. “As I said before, this is not sustainable, especially on the Chinese side. And 145%, 125%, equals an embargo. We don’t want to separate.
China’s Commerce Department said Friday that officials were “evaluating” offers from the Trump administration to hold trade talks on US 145% tariffs on Chinese products.
“The US has recently hoped to take initiatives and speak to China on many occasions to communicate information to China through related parties,” Reuters said.
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“It’s not going to work to use consultations as an excuse to engage in coercion and fear tor,” the statement added.
Trump and the administration previously said on April 8th that they were willing to negotiate trade with China, including the president who said, “We’re waiting for their calls. That’s going to happen.”
WASHINGTON, DC-May 7: (LR) US President Donald Trump, Bonnie Perdue and David Perdue take photos for photos at the swearing ceremony for David Perdue to become China’s new US ambassador in the White House oval office on May 7, 2025 in DC. (Getty Images)
Trump continued during the ceremony that he helped Purdue lead accusations to end the fatal synthetic opioid fentanyl flow to the United States.
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“They have to stop fentanyl coming in,” Trump said. “And that’s going to be a huge part. And I had that understanding with President XI last time before I left. And we praised the deal. But when Biden came in, of course, he didn’t know what he was doing. The job of driving the killers out of our country, so many, so many bad things happened.”
Ashley Carnahan of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
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