Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to travel to Beijing with President Donald Trump for an upcoming summit, marking his first visit to China despite being under Chinese government sanctions.

The visit appears to have been facilitated by China's use of a different character transliteration to represent part of Rubio's name, according to reports. This linguistic adjustment may serve as a workaround allowing the sanctioned official to enter the country.

As a U.S. senator, Rubio was a vocal advocate for human rights in China and frequently criticized Beijing's policies. In response to his positions, the Chinese government imposed sanctions on him on two separate occasions.

China's decision to sanction Rubio represented an adoption of tactics more commonly employed by the United States against foreign officials from adversarial nations. The sanctions had previously prevented him from visiting China throughout his tenure in the Senate.

The upcoming trip will mark a significant diplomatic development, as it represents the first time Rubio will set foot in China despite years of tensions between him and Beijing. The visit is expected to take place as part of broader diplomatic engagement between the Trump administration and Chinese leadership.