Trump nominates Iowa governor to head Beijing embassy

WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump has nominated longtime Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as the next U.S. ambassador to China.

Bloomberg News first reported the selection last night, and Trump’s transition team confirmed Branstad’s job offer and acceptance this morning.

“Gov. Branstad is a long-serving governor and also someone who has a lot of experience and great grasp of trade issues, agriculture issues, and has a tremendous understanding of China and the Chinese people,” said Trump spokesman Jason Miller. “He’ll represent the country well on the world stage, and we’re very proud of this selection.”

Branstad, 70, is the longest-serving governor in U.S history.—winning six four-year terms. The Iowa Republican has close connections with the Chinese, including a personal friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping that dates back 31 years. Branstad’s appointment comes at a pivotal time in U.S.-China relations, which experts say have suffered in recent years.

The Chinese were not pleased about Trump’s protocol-busting phone call last Friday with Tsai Ing-wen, the leader of Taiwan. It was the first time leaders from the United States and Taiwan have spoken since the countries severed diplomatic ties in 1979. Taiwan has its own separate government, currency, and legal system, but China considers it a rogue province.

Trump, who often criticized China while campaigning for president, wrote a pair of tweets claiming China has no right to be angry because it takes advantage of the United States with bad trade policies.

But communication with China has been rocky since well before Trump.

Dan Blumenthal, director of Asian studies at the American Enterprise Institute, told me diplomatic relations with China are tenuous. He said the United States does not assert its interests and values to the same extent the Chinese do, noting the Taiwan call as an example.

“We have a situation where we provoke China by talking tough about a pivot to Asia, but they don’t respect our power and ability to follow through,” Blumenthal told me.

The new ambassador won’t have an immediate impact on strengthening relations with China, but it will be helpful to have someone who knows China well and has a friendly history with Xi, Blumenthal said.

Branstad met the Chinese president in 1985 during Xi’s first trip to the United States as an agriculture officer from Hebei. The two have stayed in contact ever since. Branstad last met with Xi in 2012 when he hosted him for a dinner at the Iowa Capitol. The governor has made seven total trips to China.

During a press briefing today, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang called Branstad an “old friend.”

Iowa’s rich agricultural industry relies on China. The country is Iowa’s second-largest export market, behind Canada. Last year, Iowa exported $2.5 billion in goods and services to China. Trade agreements help shape the quantity of soybean and corn exports Iowa and other agricultural states can make to China.

Branstad was an early Trump supporter, even though the president-elect finished second in his state’s primary. Branstad’s son, Eric, served as state director for Trump’s Iowa campaign.

Trump plans to visit Iowa tomorrow as part of his multistate “thank you” tour.

If Branstad passes his Senate confirmation vote, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will finish out his term in the governor’s mansion. Reynolds would become Iowa’s first female governor.