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Pete Buttigieg as potential China Ambassador? What to expect
President-elect Joe Biden is considering Pete Buttigieg as his pick for Ambassador to China, according to Axios. The 38-year-old has an impressive journey. He is gay, a veteran of the Afghanistan War, the former Mayor of South Bend, a Harvard graduate, a McKinsey consultant, and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
Following the report of Buttigieg’s potential Ambassadorship, Chinese social media has translated and spread the story in China, which implied that he would push the issue of LGBTQ+ rights in China.
What are the positions of Pete Buttigieg on the China issues? How would “Ambassador Pete” contribute to the worsening U.S.- China relations?
In general, Buttigieg’s attitudes of China are mixed based on his rhetoric in the 2020 campaign trail. Align with Biden, Buttigieg mentioned cooperation with China on areas of common concern, including climate change. However, Buttigieg also leveled harsh criticisms at China’s challenges to the United States, which may lead to internal rifts between the President-elect and the potential Ambassador to China.
