Trump taps hawkish former Senator David Perdue as ambassador to China 

United States President-elect Donald Trump has named former Georgia Senator David Perdue as his pick for ambassador to China, a post that will require navigating an increasingly tumultuous relationship between Washington and Beijing.

“As a Fortune 500 CEO, who had a 40-year International business career, and served in the US 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 said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“He will be instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain peace in the region and a productive working relationship with China’s leaders,” Trump said.

As a member of the Senate from 2015 to 2021, Perdue took a tough stance on China that has become a hallmark of the Republican Party.

“America’s outdated view of China could result in lost opportunities, or even worse, dangerous miscalculations or complacency,” he wrote in a 2018 op-ed for Fox News alongside Republican Senators Steve Daines of Montana, Chuck Grassly of Iowa, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

“We must have a long-term plan to compete and deal with China’s rising economic and geopolitical influence.”

Perdue’s appointment will require the approval of the US Senate, but his confirmation is likely to proceed as Republicans hold a majority in the chamber.

As ambassador, Perdue will face a challenging workload right out of the gate, as Trump appears set on steering the US into an all-out trade war with China.

Trump has pledged to impose a 10 percent tariff on all Chinese goods when he takes office on January 20 in retaliation for Beijing’s failure to stop the flow of the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the US.

During his campaign, Trump also threatened to impose tariffs of 60 percent or more on all Chinese goods.

Tensions are already mounting between the two countries.

Earlier this week, the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden imposed its third round of export controls on semiconductors and related technology, curbing exports to 140 companies.

Beijing in retaliation blocked exports of gallium, germanium, and antimony – materials that are critical to the semiconductor and defence industries.

During his first term, Trump imposed tariffs on some $300bn of Chinese goods.

Biden kept those tariffs in place and added his own on goods such as electric vehicles and solar cells.

Trump on Friday also tapped tech investor David Sacks as his “crypto czar” to oversee artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency policy.

“In this important role, David will guide policy for the administration in artificial Intelligence and cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas. He will safeguard free speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship. He will work on a legal framework so the crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the US.”

The appointment is another win for the crypto industry, after Trump named Paul Atkins as his pick to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Atkins previously served as a SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008 under President George W. Bush and is known for his pro-crypto and pro-business stances.