- Title: Iowa governor Branstad is Trump's pick as China ambassador - Bloomberg
- Date: 7th December 2016
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (FILE - APRIL 15, 2013) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** BRANSTAD AND WISCONSIN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER SHAKING HANDS WITH XI XI GREETING U.S. DELEGATES VARIOUS OF MEETING IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 22nd December 2016 07:39
- Keywords: Iowa governor Branstad Trump China ambassador New York US
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, DES MOINES, IOWA, UNITED STATES; BEIJING, CHINA
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, DES MOINES, IOWA, UNITED STATES; BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA0045BVUC7B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad, has accepted President-elect Donald Trump's offer to be U.S. ambassador to China, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday (December 7), citing sources.
"Well, we had an opportunity to talk about a number of things and I can't comment on that at this point in time just to say that I'm very proud to have supported Donald Trump for president," Branstad said on Tuesday (December 6) after his meeting with Trump's transition team.
Branstad's office could not be immediately reached for comment and Trump's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters, outside business hours.
Trump's dealings with China have been in focus since Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called him last week to congratulate him.
The call raised consternation in Beijing, which sees the self-ruled island as a renegade province and objects to other governments dealing with it.
Trump's conversation with Tsai was the first such contact with Taiwan by a U.S. president-elect or president since President Jimmy Carter adopted a "one-China" policy in 1979, recognising only the Beijing government.
China suspects Tsai wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan.
Branstad called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "long-time friend" when Xi visited Iowa in 2012. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None