WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he intends to nominate David Perdue, a former GOP senator from Georgia, as the next U.S. ambassador to China.

Perdue has an extensive background in business, having served as CEO for both Reebok and Dollar General. He represented Georgia in the Senate starting in early 2015 but was defeated in his 2020 re-election campaign. His nomination will need Senate approval and comes amid Trump’s commitment to implement new tariffs on China and adopt a tougher stance towards one of America’s main foreign rivals.

“He will play a crucial role in carrying out my strategy to maintain peace in the region and foster a productive working relationship with Chinese leaders,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “David has been a steadfast supporter and friend, and I am eager to collaborate with him in this new capacity!”

Perdue marks the third Republican from Georgia appointed to a significant position by Trump. Earlier in the week, Trump nominated former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler to head the Small Business Administration, and last month, he selected former U.S. Representative Doug Collins for the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 2020, Perdue was defeated by Jon Ossoff, currently one of Georgia’s Democratic senators. Loeffler and Collins also faced each other in the 2020 election for the other Senate seat, with Loeffler participating in a runoff election that resulted in her loss to Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock.

Following the 2020 election, Perdue backed a lawsuit attempting to contest the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential race. Trump also supported Perdue in his unsuccessful 2022 gubernatorial campaign in Georgia, where he lost in the GOP primaries to Governor Brian Kemp.

Perdue, born in Macon, Georgia, is the son of two schoolteachers. His father, David Alfred Perdue Sr., was a Democrat who led the desegregation of the Houston County school system while serving as the superintendent from 1961 to 1980, according to the Houston Home Journal.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in operations research from Georgia Tech.

Perdue began his professional journey as a management consultant with Kurt Salmon Associates and has held numerous leadership roles, including overseeing operations in Asia for the Sara Lee Corporation.

Trump noted in his announcement that Perdue possesses “valuable expertise to strengthen our relationship with China,” highlighting his experience living in Singapore and Hong Kong and working in Asia and China throughout his career.

(This story has been updated to fix the spelling of David Perdue’s last name and Raphael Warnock’s first name.)