Trump celebrates longtime friend of Beijing as U.S. ambassador to China

Confirming that Branstad had accepted the offer, Trump spokesperson Jason Miller said that Trump will be joined by Branstad at his Des Moines rally Thursday, one of the stops on Trump’s “thank you” tour of rallies in the swing states.

China was a favorite talking point for the self-described billionaire on the campaign trail, and since his November 8 election, he has signaled his tough talk may translate to action.

China was left smarting when Donald Trump accepted a phone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday – the first direct contact between the leader of the USA and Taiwan, over which Beijing claims sovereignty, since diplomatic relations were severed between Washington and Taipei in 1979. Yes, it is bound to put pressure on the friendship between the soon-to-be ambassador and the president of China. “I think they are actually on our side”.

Cass Atlantic Development Corporation Executive Director Russell Joyce said Branstad “has had a long time relationship with China and has had several trips there, and that could be beneficial”.

“As far as with Kim Reynolds (becoming Iowa’s first female governor), she has been a county employee and whenever you saw Branstad at some activity, she was right there with him, so I think she is very prepared to take this role on at this time”, he said.

Ricketts says Branstad understands the importance of trade with China to the Midwest.

“We’re going to have mutual respect, and China’s going to benefit, and we’re going to benefit, and Terry’s going to lead the way”, Trump told the crowd. Today Iowa exports more soybeans to China than to all other countries combined as well as corn, pork and other farm products.

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Richard Wilkins expressed the association’s support for the pick, citing the governor’s extensive experience working with China and the importance of the marketplace for USA soybean farmers. Two-way agriculture trade between the countries has grown consistently over the last decade, reaching $35.6 billion in 2015.

Iowa exported $2.3 billion in goods and $273 million in services to China previous year, according to the U.S.

Reynolds said her experience working with Branstad “has prepared [her] well for this next chapter of service to all Iowans”.

At a “thank you” rally in Des Moines, Trump noted that Branstad has made six trade missions to China and has strong relationships with officials from the country. Trump also needs to listen to smarter advisors when he, through his Twitter last week, accused China of depreciating its currency, an allegation that is contrary to both facts and the assessment by US Treasury Department. It also promised to bring a complaint against China at the WTO.

“It now seems apparent that Trump is taking an aggressive stance towards China”. -China relations may be at a crossroads.

Trump has often focused his criticism on steel.

Also during his speech, Trump also alluded to his comments last week where he suggested people who burn the U.S. flag should be jailed or lose their citizenship.

Clark, who is still recovering from the attack but is walking unaided, said the meeting didn’t feel “particularly necessary for me as part of the healing process”. His style is very different from Mr Trump’s brash, shoot-from-the-hip way of communicating. The United States and China are the world’s two biggest economies. “The ambassador doesn’t set policy, he implements policy”.

Branstad, an early supporter of Trump, met with the president-elect in New York Tuesday. Still, she thinks Branstad’s nomination will help, even if it’s not so obvious.

“That is what I want to see”.