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Marco Rubio to Attend China Summit With Trump, Even Though the Country Banned Him

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  May 12, 2026 5:00 PM

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to accompany President Trump on his high-stakes trip to China, despite having previously been banned from entering the country.

In 2020, then-Senator Rubio was sanctioned by China and barred from entry over his criticism of Beijing’s human rights record, particularly its treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and its crackdown in Hong Kong during national security law and pro-democracy protests.

“It’s necessary for high-level Chinese and U.S. officials to engage each other in appropriate ways,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in January of last year on the topic. “In the meantime, China will firmly defend its national interests.”

However, with President Trump at his side, China has now waived those sanctions and rolled out the red carpet.

This comes as President Trump is set to be accompanied by a sizable entourage as he travels to China for high-stakes talks covering issues ranging from the ongoing conflict in Iran to broader economic and trade agreements.

Not only are top-level officials traveling with the president, but over a dozen major tech CEO's were also invited, including Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Tim Cook.

The talks are expected to begin on Thursday, and go through Friday.