China tweaks Rubio’s name to bypass travel ban for Trump-Xi meeting

China has altered the transliteration of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s name, a bureaucratic workaround that allowed him to enter the country for a high-stakes meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, according to reports.

Rubio was sanctioned as a U.S. senator by the Chinese government in 2020 for criticizing Beijing’s treatment of the minority Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region and other alleged human rights abuses. The restrictions included a ban on Rubio entering the country.

The sanctions might have complicated plans for Rubio to accompany Trump aboard Air Force One, but a Chinese embassy spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday that it would not block the secretary’s travel.

“The sanctions target Mr. Rubio’s words and deeds when he served as a US senator concerning China,” spokesman Liu Pengyu said.

The Chinese government and official........

© The Hill