Senate confirms former Georgia Sen. David Perdue as Trump's US ambassador to China amid tariff showdown

David Perdue wearing a red tie speaking at a podium.
Former Sen. David Perdue speaks during a gubernatorial Republican primary debate on May 1, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, Pool, File)

This story was updated on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 6:43 p.m.

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed former Sen. David Perdue as ambassador to China, just as the U.S. and China are locked in a tariff showdown that threatens to redefine diplomatic relations between the world’s two largest economies.

Perdue, a Republican who served one term as a U.S. senator from Georgia, was confirmed 67-29 with some Democratic support. At his confirmation hearing this month, the former business executive called the U.S. relationship with China the “most consequential diplomatic challenge of the 21st century.”