WASHINGTON (AFP) – United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump named political ally and former Georgia senator David Perdue as his pick to be ambassador to China.
“Tonight, I am announcing that former US Senator, David Perdue, has accepted my appointment as the next US Ambassador to China,” Trump wrote on social media.
Perdue, 74, a business executive and politician, served as a senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021, and failed in a bid for governor of the state in 2022.
If confirmed by the Senate, Perdue will play a key role in managing the relationship between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies.
A Trump ally, he backed the former president’s false claims regarding alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which the billionaire Republican lost to Joe Biden.
A special grand jury had recommended indicting Perdue over those claims, but the district attorney ultimately declined to charge him in that case.
Trump hailed Perdue as a “loyal supporter” in his social media post, touting his business experience as making him well-suited for the diplomatic role in Beijing.
“He will be instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain peace in the region, and a productive working relationship with China’s leaders,” said Trump.
“David has been a loyal supporter and friend, and I look forward to working with him in his new role!”
Perdue hails from a prominent Georgia business family, most widely known for their chicken industry empire.
While in the Senate, he served on the Armed Services Committee – chairing its Sea Power subcommittee – and on the Foreign Relations Committee. He was one of the richest members of Congress, and one of its most active traders on the stock market while in office.