The Guardian · US news · Original story
Linguistic workaround allows Marco Rubio, sanctioned by Beijing, to travel to China for the first time
Chinese government appears to be using the workaround of a different character to represent part of the secretary of state’s name, to allow him to visit the country for the upcoming Trump summit
US secretary of state Marco Rubio is heading to Beijing with president Donald Trump despite being under Chinese sanctions – a breakthrough that might have been made possible after China changed his name’s transliteration.
As a US senator, Rubio, who is visiting China for the first time, fiercely championed human rights in China, which retaliated by imposing sanctions on him twice – adopting a tactic more often used by the US against adversaries.
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Guardian staff and agencies · Tue, May 12, 2026, 6:58 PM
US news | The Guardian
Chinese government appears to be using the workaround of a different character to represent part of the secretary of state’s name, to allow him to visit the country for the upcoming Trump summit
US secretary of state Marco Rubio is heading to Beijing with president Donald Trump despite being under Chinese sanctions – a breakthrough that might have been made possible after China changed his name’s transliteration.
As a US senator, Rubio, who is visiting China for the first time, fiercely championed human rights in China, which retaliated by imposing sanctions on him twice – adopting a tactic more often used by the US against adversaries.
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