Iowa Governor Terry Branstad to be US Ambassador to China

His relationship with the country is based on trade of agricultural products.

“Freemasons believe in freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom of action, and I don’t think that’s what the communist Chinese government is about”, said Tim Anderson, who is deputy grand secretary of the Grand Masonic Lodge of Iowa.

Branstand was nominated December 7, and his appointment will need to be approved by Congress.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is set to meet with President Elect Trump this week as speculation builds that he may be offered the position of Ambassador to China under President Trump.

The next ambassador to China will confront a number of high-stakes diplomatic challenges in the U.S.

Branstad is rumored to be among Trump’s top choices for the job.

Patrick Cronin, senior director of the Asia-Pacific security program at the Center for a New American Security, said that by selecting an ambassador who has forged commercial ties between his state and China, Trump was signaling to Xi that as leaders they will have the same fundamental priority in seeking economic growth.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Governor Branstad for six years now, and I’ve had the opportunity to learn from the best governor in the nation, the longest-serving governor in the nation, and it really has prepared me well to assume the next responsibility and continue leading Iowans”, Reynolds said.

Since Trump’s November 8 election victory, political observers and reporters have speculated Trump may offer the post to Branstad, who was a strong supporter of Trump during the general election and has a longtime working friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During Xi’s 2012 trip, Chinese soybean buyers announced they would buy more than $4 billion in USA soybeans that year.

Branstad and Xi met when China’s leader made his first trip to Iowa in 1985 during a sister-state exchange. His personal touch could go a long way in avoiding conflict caused by miscommunication or misinterpretation. China does not recognize Taiwan’s independence, and the call broke 37 years of diplomatic precedent. He confirmed Monday, during his weekly news conference, that at some point during the trip, he will meet with Trump.

Chuck Larson, Jr., a former state legislator who represented Cedar Rapids in the Iowa House and Senate, was appointed by President George W. Bush to be the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia.

In a statement on December 7th Mr Branstad said that during their 30-year friendship Mr Xi and he have developed respect and admiration for each other.

“Think carefully about how important protocol is to your audience ’cause in Iowa it isn’t very important, but it is to many people”, Kramer says.

“He will be talking about the role Iowa played in the Trump campaign”, said Hammes.

“She will have somewhat of an easier path to govern in some ways because of the way I think she has been involved in policy making to this date”, said Dianne Bystrom, a professor of women in politics at Iowa State University.

Branstad met with the president-elect at Trump Tower while in NY for a previously scheduled economic development trip.

Pennington reported from Washington.