The diplomatic maneuver allowed the Chinese government to welcome the high-level delegation without formally lifting the penalties imposed on Rubio during his time as a U.S. Senator.

“China has done that using a sleight of hand: His name is spelled different in official documents for this visit,” said Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the capital.

By transliterating the first syllable of his surname with a different Chinese character for “lu,” Beijing effectively created a separate legal identity for the Secretary of State.

This “Marco Lu” persona enabled his entry for the summit, while the sanctions against “Rubio” remain on the books for future enforcement.

The shift began shortly before Rubio took office in January 2025. By March, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs signaled a willingness to relax restrictions specifically for this summit.

“China’s sanctions were aimed at Rubio’s words and deeds concerning China during his tenure in the United States Senate,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on March 16.

Rubio and the Chinese government have a long history of arguing. In 2020, China punished him twice because he spoke out against their crackdown on freedom in Hong Kong and their poor treatment of the Uighur people in Xinjiang.

As someone who opposes communism, Rubio was a main creator of a 2021 law. This law requires businesses to show that the products they bring in from Xinjiang were not made using government-backed forced labor.

Defending the legislation at the time, Rubio said: “Many companies have already taken steps to clean up their supply chains. For those who have not done that, they’ll no longer be able to continue to make Americans – every one of us, frankly – unwitting accomplices in the atrocities, in the genocide.”

Even though the name change helps both sides talk during this meeting, officials say the anger over Rubio's past comments on human rights is still there.