Pivotal Trade Talks With Beijing Loom As Trump Swears In New Us Ambassador To China: 'what Timing'

Former Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue was sworn successful arsenic U.S. ambassador to China Wednesday, pinch President Donald Trump remarking connected nan timing of nan ceremonial arsenic waste and acquisition talks betwixt nan 2 nations are group to footwear off. 

"We're swearing successful our adjacent ambassador to nan People's Republic of China. What timing, David. What timing? Only you could person picked this timing," Trump quipped arsenic Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepared to committedness Perdue in. 

The Senate confirmed Perdue April 29 successful a 67–29 vote. His swearing-in ceremonial comes arsenic China and nan U.S. group to statesman waste and acquisition talks pursuing Trump's tariffs connected nan federation successful caller months. 

"Our caller ambassador brings to this position a life of acquisition astatine nan highest levels of business and politics," Trump said. "And he is astatine nan highest level. Over 4 decades successful business, he roseate to lead respective awesome American corporations, including arsenic nan president and CEO of nan footwear elephantine Reebok, wherever he did very good and did a awesome job. And later nan CEO of Dollar General. Likewise, he did a awesome job. David besides lived and worked successful Singapore and Hong Kong for respective years, processing a wealthiness of acquisition negotiating and doing tremendous business deals for tons of different leaders that he worked with." 

SCOTT BESSENT SAYS US DOESN'T WANT TO DECOUPLE FROM CHINA AHEAD OF SCHEDULED MEETING WITH CHINESE COUNTERPART

New U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue (R) speaks during his swearing-in ceremonial arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump looks connected successful nan Oval Office astatine nan White House connected May 07, 2025 successful Washington, DC.  (Getty Images)

Trump added that Perdue "say hullo to President XI erstwhile you're complete there."

The Trump management has leveled tariffs arsenic precocious arsenic 145% connected Chinese equipment arsenic nan president looks to bring parity to nan nation's chronic waste and acquisition deficit pinch overseas countries. Trump paused his April 2 reciprocal tariff scheme connected dozens of nations successful April arsenic countries called connected nan management to make waste and acquisition deals, but he upped nan ante connected China arsenic nan state rebuked Trump's waste and acquisition policies pinch tariffs of its own, including 125% work taxes connected U.S. goods. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping successful a meeting. (Minh Hoang/The Associated Press)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are scheduled to meet pinch Chinese counterparts complete nan play successful Switzerland to talk economical matters, Bessent said connected Fox News Tuesday. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks arsenic US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent looks connected during nan regular briefing successful nan Brady Briefing Room of nan White House successful Washington, DC, connected April 29, 2025.  (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

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"We person shared interests," Bessent said. "This isn't sustainable, arsenic I said before, particularly connected nan Chinese broadside — and, you know, 145%, 125% is nan balanced of an embargo. We don't want to decouple — what we want is adjacent trade." 

China's Ministry of Commerce said Friday that officials were "evaluating" an connection from nan Trump management to clasp waste and acquisition talks connected nan 145% U.S. tariffs connected Chinese goods.

"The U.S. has precocious taken nan inaugural connected galore occasions to convey accusation to China done applicable parties, saying it hopes to talk pinch China," nan connection said, according to Reuters. 

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"Attempting to usage talks arsenic a pretext to prosecute successful coercion and extortion would not work," nan connection added. 

Trump and nan management antecedently person said they were consenting to clasp waste and acquisition negotiations pinch China, including nan president saying April 8, "We are waiting for their call. It will happen."

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 07: (L-R) U.S. President Donald Trump, Bonnie Perdue and David Perdue airs for a photograph during nan swearing-in ceremonial for David Perdue to beryllium nan caller U.S. Ambassador to China successful nan Oval Office astatine nan White House connected May 07, 2025 successful Washington, DC.  (Getty Images)

Trump continued during nan ceremonial that Perdue will thief lead nan complaint connected ending nan travel of deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl into nan U.S., an rumor Trump has railed against while leveraging tariffs connected China to extremity nan forbidden narcotics from entering nan U.S. 

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"They person to extremity fentanyl from coming in," Trump said. "And that'll beryllium a very large part. And I had that knowing pinch President Xi earlier I left, past time. And we had a deal, and he would person honored nan deal. But erstwhile Biden came in, of course, thing ever happened pinch him. He didn't cognize what nan hellhole he was doing. But that would person saved a batch of lives astatine predetermination caused america a batch of lives and a batch of heartache. The truth that we went done 4 years of misery, and you look astatine what's coming done nan separator and, nan occupation of getting murderers retired of our country, truthful many, truthful galore bad things happened." 

 Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.