US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Beijing on May 13 for President Trump's summit with Xi Jinping, marking his first visit to mainland China despite sanctions imposed since 2020 over criticism of Uyghur human rights abuses and Hong Kong policies. Beijing enabled entry via a linguistic workaround, tweaking the transliteration of Rubio's name to bypass the travel ban. Previously unvisited by Rubio—a longtime Senate China hawk confirmed to the post earlier this year—this trip underscores thawing diplomatic channels amid tensions on trade, Taiwan, and technology. Traders monitor summit outcomes, including potential US pushes for China to restrain Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, with official confirmations solidifying the visit amid real-time footage of Rubio at the Great Hall of the People.