US urged to ‘meet China halfway’ as envoy Perdue arrives in Beijing amid trade truce

Beijing expressed hope that the US could “meet China halfway” as the new American ambassador David Perdue assumed his post on Thursday.

Perdue, a former Republican US senator for the state of Georgia and a veteran business executive, was confirmed by the US Senate as ambassador to China last month. US President Donald Trump, Perdue’s long-time ally, conducted a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office on May 7 and told Perdue to “say hello to President Xi [Jinping] when you’re over there”.

Perdue announced his widely anticipated arrival in Beijing via social media on Thursday.

“It is an honour to represent President Trump,” he wrote in a post accompanied by a selfie taken outside the embassy building.

“I am ready to get to work here and make America safer, stronger and more prosperous.”

Asked to comment on the envoy’s arrival, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday: “China’s position on China-US relations is consistent. We always view and handle Sino-US relations under the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and also hope that the US can meet China halfway.”