USA13 May, 20262 min read
Marco Rubio Wears Nike Tracksuit as China Changes Surname Transliteration for Beijing Trip With Trump
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Rubio wore a gray Nike Tech fleece tracksuit aboard Air Force One to Beijing. Outfit described as Maduro-style tracksuit worn during Maduro's capture.
Rubio heads to Beijing
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled with President Donald Trump to Beijing, with AFP reports carried by UNN saying China changed the transliteration of Rubio’s surname to bypass its own sanctions.
“China has changed the transliteration of his surname to bypass its own sanctions.”
UNN said China stated it would not prevent Rubio, now 54, from boarding Air Force One with Trump, and that the trip would include a meeting with Xi Jinping on Thursday at a high-stakes US-China summit.
As Rubio flew to China, White House communications director Steven Cheung posted photos on X showing Rubio wearing a gray Nike Tech fleece tracksuit aboard Air Force One.
Fox News described the outfit as a notable departure from the formal attire typically worn by top U.S. officials during official travel, and said the trip was expected to focus on trade and national security issues.
Nike Tech becomes meme
Multiple outlets tied Rubio’s tracksuit to the “Venezuela Nike Tech” meme after social media users compared it to the outfit worn by ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Fox News quoted an X user asking, "Is Marco going to be the DJ for the flight?" as images of Rubio in the Nike Tech tracksuit circulated.
The New York Post said the White House described the gag as a “full circle moment,” and shared a video on X of Rubio mocking Maduro shortly after the raid. Tippah News said Cheung posted the photos on X aboard Air Force One during Rubio’s China trip, and that users quickly compared Rubio’s look to the “Venezuela Nike Tech” meme that circulated earlier this year.
Sanctions workaround and agenda
UNN reported Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said, "The sanctions are directed against Mr. Rubio's words and actions regarding China when he was a US Senator," while AFP said Rubio was due to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday.
Firstpost said the name-change workaround used a different Chinese character for “Lu” in the first syllable of Rubio’s surname, and described it as a way to avoid enforcing sanctions after Rubio had been banned under the old spelling.
Firstpost also said the agenda in Beijing includes the establishment of a “Board of Trade,” and described a schedule that features a delegation of CEOs including Elon Musk and Tim Cook.
News18 reported that Trump posted a graphic depicting Venezuela as the “51st State” of the United States on Truth Social while Rubio was spotted aboard Air Force One in the Nike tracksuit linked by users to Maduro’s capture in January.