Critics of Beijing raised concerns over the Labour peer's suitability for the job given his repeated defence of engagement with China, while Trump's administration is hawkish towards the rival trading power.
Mandelson is understood to be in pole position for the Washington job, on a shortlist with David Miliband and the Labour peer Cathy Ashton. He has been even-handed when talking about Trump in recent months.
But in 2018, he wrote an article arguing Trump's hostility towards China was putting free trade at risk. "It is absurd to imagine putting a country of such weight in the naughty corner," he said of US relations with China. "It is also necessary to recognise Mr Trump's behaviour for what it is: he is a bully and a mercantilist who thinks the US will gain in trade only when others are losing.
This story is from the November 14, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 14, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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