Trump used the Hawkeye state backdrop to officially re-introduce Terry Branstad Thursday as his pick to be the U.S. ambassador to China during a rally in the Iowa governor’s home state, a choice showcasing Trump’s base of support among blue collar workers tired of trade deals as well as the important and fraught relationship the USA has with the dominant Asian nation. In 1985, Branstad, during his first stint as Iowa governor, met with a mid-level Chinese bureaucrat on an agricultural trade mission who spoke little English and had barely traveled outside China.The next time that Chinese official visited Iowa was 2012, and he was about to become China’s president and general secretary of its Communist Party.
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“He’s tenacious, and trust me, with the Chinese, you need to be tenacious”, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, said of Branstad. But The Washington Post reported it was the product of months of quiet preparations and deliberations among Trump’s advisers about a new strategy for engagement with Taiwan.
“Branstad has made a number of trips to China and visited President Xi on a number of occasions”.
“It has been a great honor and privilege to serve the state of Iowa”, said Branstad. According to the US-China Business Council China became Iowa’s second export destination after Canada.
Branstad’s established personal connection with China could help smooth a relationship defined largely by global security matters and by bilateral trade, where the massive USA trade deficit with the country is a source of friction. Chinese officials have warned that the U.S.is bound by World Trade Organization rules, which restrain countries from imposing sanctions without making a persuasive case.
“Governor Branstad is an old friend of the Chinese people”, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a press briefing.
If Reynolds becomes Iowa’s next governor, she will be the sixth female now serving as governor in the United States.
The frequent visits and relationship with Xi mean the Chinese know and like Branstad, said Tim Albrecht, a former aide to the governor. He is considered an “old friend”, a culturally significant title, by President Xi and has a long-standing relationship with the Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai.
During an exclusive interview with Xinhua prior to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States in September 2015, Branstad dismissed the campaign rhetoric of China bashing by some USA presidential candidates, saying that “having a spirit of cooperation and collaboration is in the mutual benefits of both countries”.
Over the years the Iowa Governor has maintained close economic relations with China.
The advocacy group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement issued a statement claiming Reynolds is beholden to campaign donations made by agriculture businesses, and the Democratic Governors’ Association issued a statement in which they laid some early groundwork for 2018.
Before meeting with Trump, Branstad was asked about Reynolds.
Reynolds is vacationing this week with her family and is expected to be back in Des Moines on Thursday in time for that night’s event with President-elect Donald Trump. Baucus said. “It’s very important that we keep working and find new ways to enhance that cooperation, and some of the difficulties can be more easily managed”.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4:14 p.m. December 7 to reflect a released comment from Gov. Branstad in a release from President-elect Trump.
Chinese officials praised Branstad on Wednesday.
Trump announced his pick of Branstad on Wednesday at a Manhattan fundraiser.
“We want people coming into our country we want them coming in legally”, Trump said at his rally.
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Trump has pledged to be more “unpredictable” on the world stage, billing the approach as a much-needed change from President Barack Obama’s deliberative style and public forecasting about US policy.
