On Thursday evening, President-elect Donald Trump made the announcement that he had selected David Perdue, a former senator from Georgia who is a Republican, to be the next ambassador of the United States to communist China.
Throughout his career, Perdue has spent a significant portion of his time working in Asia, notably China. He has also lived in Hong Kong and Singapore.
In response to the nomination, Perdue made a post on X, in which he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve and expressed his sense of respect.
“Tonight, I am announcing that former U.S. Senator, David Perdue, has accepted my appointment as the next United States Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. As a Fortune 500 CEO, who had a 40-year International business career, and served in the U.S. Senate, David brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China. He has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong, and worked in Asia and China for much of his career.” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
“In the U.S. Senate, he served on the Armed Services Committee, where he was Chair of the powerful Sea Power Subcommittee. He also served on the Foreign Relations Committee, the only Republican to serve on both Committees. He will be instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain Peace in the region, and a productive working relationship with China’s leaders. David has been a loyal supporter and friend, and I look forward to working with him in his new role!” he added.
A substantial amount of commercial expertise in Asia, notably China, is something that Perdue ran on during his election for the Senate in 2014.
Perdue has lived in both Singapore and Hong Kong. He was the previous CEO of Dollar General and a top executive at Sara Lee and Reebok.
He was responsible for considerable corporate reorganization and global expansion during his time at these companies.
Following his election in 2014, President Perdue served in the Senate for one term, during which time he garnered a reputation for his fiscal conservatism and his support of legislation that were favorable to industry.
A runoff election in 2021 against Democrat Jon Osoff resulted in his defeat in his bid for reelection.
