Shen Dingli, a Professor and Associate Dean at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies, on December 26, 2016, assessed that the US President-elect’s choice of Tillerson indicates that  "Trump will tap Tillerson’s rich experience in conducting international business and negotiation" He added that the nomination conforms with Trump’s style of bringing successful business people into his cabinet, to “make America great again.” Suggesting that Tillerson has been nominated for his competence in international negotiation, he said if it is Trump's intention to conduct “fair” international business and bring many jobs home, then nominating Tillerson could bode well for America and the world. He noted that Rex Tillerson is not new to Moscow or Beijing and  knows China quite a bit, including on the issue of the South China Sea. He said though one could question Tillerson's credibility as Secretary of State because of his proximity to Russia, however, this does not mean he is unwilling or unable to defend America’s interests. Shen Dingli said that Tillerson’s good relations with Russia do not necessarily mean a more negative partnership between China and the US. He added that  the US will have a difficult time accepting Putin’s unyielding position on Crimea; that Russia might enjoy a strong partnership with China and improved relations with America at the same time; and that US-China-Russia trilateral relations don’t necessarily need to be a zero-sum game. He concluded that China could, hopefully, be better off with the improvement of Washington-Moscow ties.