US President Donald Trump’s visit to China included his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who had previously been sanctioned twice by Beijing. The trip, reported on May 14, 2026, was described as unprecedented because Rubio’s participation came despite those sanctions. To bypass the restrictions, official travel documents reportedly used an alternate spelling of Rubio’s name, allowing him to enter China.

The sanctions were originally imposed when Rubio served as a US senator and spoke strongly in favor of human rights in China. In response, the Chinese government had targeted him with two rounds of sanctions. Before he assumed office as Secretary of State in January 2025, Chinese state media had already begun using a different spelling of his name.

On Tuesday, Chinese authorities stated that Rubio would not be barred from entering the country, clarifying that the sanctions were related to his past actions as a senator rather than his current diplomatic role.