Photo by AsianFin staff
BEIJING (AsianFin) -- David Perdue, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to China, said on Monday in Beijing that the United States does not seek decoupling from China and signaling a renewed emphasis on pragmatic engagement between the world's two largest economies.
He made the remarks at his first major public appearance or speech at the welcome reception. This small-scale welcome reception was co-hosted by the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), the American Chamber of Commerce in China, and Hogan Lovells. The attendees were primarily representatives from the Chinese and American business communities.
Speaking to an audience of American business leaders, diplomats, and Chinese interlocutors, Perdue said he was under direct instruction from U.S. President Donald Trump to make clear that "we do not want to decouple from the people of China."
"We're not trying to change the form of government," Perdue said. "We're not trying to make everything in China look like everything the United States. And conversely, we think the Chinese people also want to see America and China succeed together, going forward."
Perdue, a former U.S. Senator from Georgia and long-time Trump confidant, emphasized the importance of mutual respect between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. He revealed that he had already held a meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi last week, describing the meeting "deeply respectful" and a positive sign of Beijing's openness to dialogue.
"We both reassured each other that we want to find a way thatfor the United States and the People's Republic of China find a way forward so that we can all continue to prosper," he said.
Perdue framed his mission in China as a bridge-building effort during what he acknowledged was a time he acknowledged as a “very difficult” one for bilateral relations. "You can't have this kind of cross-cultural relationship if you don't start with respect. In Mandarin, the word is guanxi," he noted.
Seeking to downplay growing talk in Washington and Beijing of a new Cold War, Perdue described current trade tensions as "nothing but a negotiation between two great powers" that must recognize the realities of the present, not the politics of the past.
"This is not 2000. It's not 1984. It’s not 1979. It’s not 1949. It's 2025," he said. "We need to find a way for these two countries to grow up and deal with each other in a manner of mutual respect."
He repeatedly stressed two guiding concepts: "coexistence" and "balance," arguing that the U.S. and China must learn to manage their differences while finding common ground on global challenges—from economic development to climate cooperation.
In a notable departure from the Biden administration's framing of strategic competition with China, Perdue repeatedly highlighted what he called a strong personal rapport between Trump and Xi.
"I've seen the personal correspondence. I've been in the calls," he said. "Donald Trump appreciates getting results… (China's) economic achievement over the last 30 years is historic—remarkable in the annals of the humankind."
He credited both leaders with understanding the "responsibility" they bear to steer their nations toward cooperation, despite the difficulties. "This moment is the most consequential in the history of the world when it comes to bilateral relations between two major countries," Perdue said.
Perdue closed his address with a challenge to the assembled audience—many of whom represented influential global companies and institutions—to help stabilize and strengthen the relationship.
"You have influence. You have access. You have contacts. … Please use those contacts, take this message out there, and help us be successful in managing the things we differ on -- there are many -- tofocus on the things we agree on," he said.
He ended on a reflective note, recognizing the long arc of Chinese civilization and expressing confidence that the people of both nations share more in common than is often acknowledged.
"We're a young country, about to celebrate 250 years... But I sit here in a culture that's over 4,000 years old. We recognize that, we honor that," he said. "With your help, we can make this world better."
