Trump picks Xi Jinping's 'old friend' as ambassador to China

(Baonghean.vn) - Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has just been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to be the US Ambassador to China.

Terry Branstad is a TPP supporter. Photo: Internet.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller confirmed Branstad’s acceptance of the offer in a regular call with reporters. Miller also said Branstad would join Trump at an event in Des Moines, Iowa, on December 8, one of the stops on Trump’s thank-you tour of battleground states.

Miller highlighted Branstad’s experience in public policy, trade, and agriculture as qualities that made him a good fit for Trump’s envoy to Beijing. According to Miller, Branstad “has a deep understanding of China and the Chinese people, and has made a strong impression on the President-elect, not only during their meetings on the campaign trail but also in their post-election meetings.”

“It is clear that Governor Branstad is someone who will do a great job representing America on the world stage, and we are extremely proud of this choice,” Miller said.

'Long-term relationship'

The Trump campaign officially announced the decision in a statement on the afternoon of December 7 (morning of December 8, Vietnam time). Trump said: "Governor Branstad's decades of experience in public service and his longstanding relationship with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders make him an ideal choice to serve as US Ambassador to China."

Branstad is particularly well-suited for the job, given his decades-long friendship with Xi, CNN reported. The two have known each other since 1985, when Xi visited Iowa as a provincial official on a state-level exchange during Branstad's first term as governor, and have maintained a friendly relationship. Xi also met Branstad during a 2012 visit to the United States when he was vice president of China and soon to take office.

At a press conference on December 7, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang affirmed that Branstad “is a long-time friend of the Chinese people, and welcomes him to contribute more to the development of US-China relations.”

Terry Branstad and Xi Jinping during a meeting in 2012, when Xi was Vice President of China. Photo: NYT.

Diplomacy

However, according to CNN, their warm personal relationship will soon be tested.

The next US ambassador to China will face a number of high-stakes diplomatic challenges in the US-China relationship, including rising tensions in the South China Sea, implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change, and the two countries’ economic and trade relations.

Trump recently made a gesture that could easily antagonize China, upending decades of US foreign policy by accepting a congratulatory call from the head of Taiwan's government, as well as posting a series of status lines on social media about currency devaluation and tariffs.

For example, Trump wrote on Sunday: “Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for U.S. companies to compete), heavily tax our products entering their markets (the U.S. doesn’t tax them), or build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don’t think so!”

And Branstad has his differences with Trump. He is a supporter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal—a major component of U.S. foreign policy in Asia, and one that Trump strongly opposed during the campaign. Branstad argues that the deal would benefit Iowa workers and farmers.

Phu Binh

(According to CNN)