Editing Terry Branstad (section)

== U.S. Ambassador to China ==
{{multiple image|direction=vertical|
|image1=Terry Branstad official photo.jpg|caption1=Terry Branstad's official 2017 portrait as U.S. Ambassador to China|alt1=See caption
|image2=Secretary Perdue welcomes Amb. to China Terry Branstad 20170530-OSEC-LSC-0012 (34833951462).jpg|caption2=Branstad meeting with [[United States Secretary of Agriculture|U.S. Secretary of Agriculture]] [[Sonny Perdue]], May 30, 2017|alt2=See caption
|image3=Terry Branstad with Justin Trudeau - 2017 (24042076627).jpg|caption3=Terry Branstad with Prime Minister of Canada [[Justin Trudeau]], 2017|alt3=See image}}
In December 2016 President-elect [[Donald Trump]] chose Branstad to serve as [[United States Ambassador to China|US Ambassador to China]], succeeding [[Max Baucus]].<ref>https://share.america.gov December 8, 2016: : [https://share.america.gov/trumps-choice-for-top-china-diplomat/ Trump’s choice for top China diplomat has long ties to Xi]</ref> Branstad accepted the offer within one day after meeting with Trump in New York.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/politics_and_administration/state/article_0974d82c-bc8d-11e6-becc-f342b1d93159.html|title=Branstad chosen as Chinese ambassador; Reynolds to become first female governor|last=Hanson|first=Alex|newspaper=Iowa State Daily|access-date=February 21, 2017|language=en}}</ref> Trump cited Branstad's decades of experience with China while governor of Iowa.<ref name=":4" /> [[Xi Jinping]], China's [[paramount leader]], considers Branstad an "old friend".<ref>{{cite news|author1=V.V.B.|title=Damage control: An "old friend" of Xi Jinping will be America's next ambassador to China|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2016/12/damage-control|access-date=December 10, 2016|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=December 8, 2016}}</ref> Branstad's relationship with Xi dates to 1985, when Xi, then a young official from Hebei Province, headed a five-man agricultural delegation to Iowa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/us/2012-02/09/content_14568749.htm|title=Xi to revisit Iowa after memorable trip 27 years ago{{!}}Center{{!}}chinadaily.com.cn|website=usa.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=February 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301104104/http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/us/2012-02/09/content_14568749.htm|archive-date=March 1, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Branstad's hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee was held on May 2, 2017.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pfannenstiel|first1=Brianne|title=Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad draws praise in hearings to be ambassador to China|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/02/iowa-governor-terry-branstad-ambassador-hearing/309000001/|access-date=May 12, 2017|newspaper=USA Today|date=May 2, 2017}}</ref>

Branstad was confirmed by the Senate on May 22, 2017, in an 82 to 13 vote.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress - 1st Session|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=115&session=1&vote=00133|access-date=2020-11-24|website=www.senate.gov}}</ref> He resigned as governor on May 24, 2017, in a ceremony at the Iowa State House, and was immediately sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to China. His appointment marked the third time in a decade that a politician resigned a statewide office to become the Ambassador to China; [[Jon Huntsman Jr.]] resigned as [[governor of Utah]] in 2009, and [[Max Baucus]] resigned as [[List of former United States senators|U.S. senator]] from [[List of United States Senators from Montana|Montana]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Noble |first=Jason |title=Terry Branstad to serve as Trump's China ambassador |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2016/12/07/reports-trump-offers-branstad-china-ambassador-position/95042390/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=David Culver and Steven Jiang|title=Outgoing US ambassador to China blames Beijing for coronavirus as he heads home to help Trump|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/asia/china-us-ambassador-terry-branstad-intl-hnk/index.html|access-date=2020-09-18|website=CNN|date=September 18, 2020 }}</ref>

In October 2018, the ''[[Financial Times]]'' reported that Branstad opposed a proposal by White House Senior Advisor [[Stephen Miller (political advisor)|Stephen Miller]] about stopping providing student visas to Chinese nationals, making it impossible for Chinese citizens to study in the United States. Branstad argued that such a ban would harm US trade to China and hurt small American universities more than the elite ones.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sevastopulo |first1=Demetri |last2=Mitchell |first2=Tom |date=October 2, 2018 |title=US considered ban on student visas for Chinese nationals |url=https://www.ft.com/content/fc413158-c5f1-11e8-82bf-ab93d0a9b321 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714222943/https://www.ft.com/content/fc413158-c5f1-11e8-82bf-ab93d0a9b321 |archive-date=July 14, 2019 |access-date=October 2, 2018 |website=[[Financial Times]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In May 2019, Branstad traveled to [[Tibet Autonomous Region]] amid heightening trade tensions between the United States and China. This diplomatic journey was designed to give the United States a better perception of [[Tibet]] and its people, cultural practices, and life.

Branstad stepped down as U.S. Ambassador to China<ref>{{cite news|first1=David|last1=Culver|first2=Ben|last2=Westcott|title=US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad stepping down as tensions with Beijing rise|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/politics/terry-branstad-china-intl-hnk/index.html|access-date=September 14, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 14, 2020}}</ref> in early October 2020, at the request of President [[Donald Trump]] to help with his 2020 presidential campaign.<ref name="KenM">{{cite news|url= https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/us-ambassador-to-china-will-step-down-in-october/ |last1=Moritsugu |first1=Ken |title=US Ambassador to China Will Step Down in October |access-date=15 September 2020 |publisher=The Diplomat |date=September 14, 2020}}</ref>