Trump Names David Perdue as US Ambassador to China
On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump announced his selection of former Georgia Senator David Perdue as the next U.S. ambassador to China.
Trump stated that Perdue, a former CEO, possesses valuable expertise to foster stronger U.S.-China relations. Perdue previously promoted Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of election fraud during his unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in Georgia.
Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years prior and subsequently ran an unsuccessful primary challenge against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
Significant economic tensions are anticipated in U.S.-China relations under the new administration.
Trump has threatened to implement extensive new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China upon assuming office, as part of his strategy to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He indicated that a 25% tax on all goods from Canada and Mexico, along with an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, would be among his initial executive orders.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington issued a warning earlier this week, suggesting that a trade war would be detrimental to all parties involved.
“China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation is inherently mutually beneficial,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu stated. “No one will win a trade war or a #tariff war.” He further noted China’s efforts in the past year to curb drug trafficking.
The likelihood of Trump actually enacting these threatened tariffs, or whether they are a negotiating tactic, remains unclear.
These tariffs, if implemented, would likely lead to increased costs for American consumers across various sectors, from fuel and automobiles to agricultural products. The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of goods, with Mexico, China, and Canada its three primary suppliers, according to the latest data.
Trump also made further appointments to his immigration team on Thursday.
He announced his intention to nominate former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Scott, a career official, headed the border agency starting in January 2020 and strongly supported President Trump’s policies, particularly the construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The Biden administration subsequently removed him from his position.
Trump also stated he would nominate Caleb Vitello as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency responsible for, among other duties, apprehending undocumented migrants in the U.S. Vitello is a long-serving ICE official with over 23 years of experience, most recently serving as assistant director for the office of firearms and tactical programs.
The president-elect appointed Brandon Judd, head of the Border Patrol Union, as ambassador to Chile. Judd has been a long-time Trump supporter, appearing alongside him during visits to the U.S.-Mexico border. Notably, however, Judd also supported a Senate immigration bill backed by Biden, a bill that Trump ultimately opposed to avoid giving Democrats a political win during an election year.