China has welcomed the appointment of Terry Branstad — the Governor of Iowa who is well connected with the Chinese political elite — as the next ambassador of the United States to China.
“We welcome his greater contribution to the development of China-U.S. relations,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Wednesday.
Lifts political mood
The appointment appeared to have lifted the political mood in Beijing, as it followed a spike in friction after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump departed from convention established since 1979, and took a congratulatory call from Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-wen. That upset Beijing as it brought into question Mr. Trump’s commitment to the One-China policy, which does not recognise Taiwan as a separate state.
The President- elect followed up the conversation with Ms. Tsai with a string of tweets, which accused China of a military buildup in the South China Sea, and pursuing a policy of currency manipulation to unfairly push exports.
Conciliatory tone
But striking a conciliatory tone on Wednesday, the spokesman said: “The U.S. Ambassador to China serves as an important bridge linking the governments of the U.S. and China. We are willing to work with whomever that takes this position to strive for the continued, sound and steady development of bilateral ties.”
Chinese state media has followed up on Mr. Lu’s comment, with China Central Television (CCTV) on Thursday airing elaborate footage of a meeting between the Ambassador–designate and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The state-run tabloid Global Times stressed that Mr. Branstad called Mr. Xi “a long-time friend” when he visited Iowa in February 2012, only nine months before becoming President.
‘30-year fiendship with Xi’
On Wednesday, Mr. Branstad said he and Mr. Xi have had a “30-year friendship,” according to a Reuters report. “The President-elect understands my unique relationship to China and has asked me to serve in a way I had not previously considered,” Mr. Branstad observed.
Mr. Xi had first visited Iowa in 1985 on an agricultural research trip, as the leader of a delegation from Hebei Province, within a few years after China, under Deng Xiaoping, has launched its economic reforms.
‘Hints at bilateral ties policy’
Huang Jing, an expert on Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore, was quoted as saying that Mr. Branstad’s appointment “really sends a message that Donald Trump wants to handle China at the bilateral relationship level.”
Xinhua news agency reported that Mr. Branstad has long nurtured a close relationship with China, having visited China multiple times. It quoted Jason Miller, a spokesman from Mr. Trump’s transition team as saying that, “The Governor has a lot of experience and grasp of trade issues, agriculture issues and the understanding of China.”