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| Terry Branstad (Image: Wiki Commons) |
Trump's pick of China-hand ambassador releases positive signal
by Tian Dongdong
BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, an old friend of Beijing, as the next ambassador to China, sending a positive signal to the development of the relationship between the world's two largest economies.
As an early follower of Trump, Branstad has very much impressed the president-elect, making him a "couldn't-be-prouder" choice of the job, according to the transition team of Trump.
Meanwhile, described by a spokesperson of Trump as a man with "a lot of experience and grasp of trade issues, agriculture issues and the understanding of China," Branstad has also long nurtured a close relationship with China.
His expertise on China and friendship with Chinese and U.S. leaders are expected to facilitate him in lubricating the development of the most important bilateral relationship in the world.
However, the positive signal is sent amid a mixture of messages from Trump over his attitude toward China, as the president-elect not only broke a 37-year-long diplomatic practice by accepting a call from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen, but also blamed China over issues including the Chinese currency and the South China Sea.
Some Chinese analysts say that the issues Trump posted on Twitter, including the phone call with Tsai, are a result of Trump's lack of experience in diplomacy and the fact that he has not put together his foreign policy team.
Read the full story at Xinhua
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China will work with incoming U.S. ambassador
BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman here on Thursday said that no matter who becomes U.S. ambassador in Beijing,China is ready to work for sound and stable Sino-U.S. relations.
"U.S. ambassador to China acts as a bridge between the governments of the two countries," said Lu Kang at a routine daily briefing when asked to comment on reports that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump had chosen Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as his man in Beijing.
Branstad is an old friend of the Chinese people and has contributed a lot to Sino-U.S. exchanges, said Lu.
Read the full story at Xinhua