The Senate on Tuesday confirmed former Sen. David Perdue as ambassador to China, just as the U.S. and China are locked in a tariff showdown that threatens to redefine diplomatic relations between the world’s two largest economies.

The Senate confirmed former Republican Georgia Sen. David Perdue as the new U.S. ambassador to China. Perdue, who has business experience in Asia, including China, will be on the front lines in Beijing of the fraught U.