Trump Picks Iowa Governor Branstad as China Ambassador
Jennifer Jacobs
December 6, 2016 — 9:35 PM CST
Updated on December 7, 2016 — 7:03 AM CST
President-elect Donald Trump offered the post of U.S. ambassador to China to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, a longtime friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to three people close to the matter.
Branstad, a Republican, has accepted the offer, said the three people, who asked for anonymity.
The decision comes at a time of heightened tensions with China after Trump abandoned almost four decades of diplomatic protocol on Dec. 2 by speaking directly with the leader of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rogue province. Trump has been critical of China’s currency policies and military build-up. He hasn’t named his choice for secretary of state, the top U.S. diplomatic post.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-12-07/trump-said-to-pick-iowa-governor-branstad-as-china-ambassador
