The U.S. ambassador to China is stepping down from his post next month after more than three years in the role, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing announced Monday.
Terry Branstad, the former governor of Iowa, is retiring amid strained relations between Washington and Beijing after months of tension over the coronavirus pandemic, human rights, and trade.
“I am proudest of our work in getting the Phase One trade deal and delivering tangible results for our communities back home,” Mr. Branstad said in a statement. “Our goal remains meaningful, measurable results for American families. We have made significant progress and we will not stop pressing for more.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked the 73-year-old ambassador “for his more than three years of service to the American people as U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.”
“Ambassador Branstad has contributed to rebalancing U.S.-China relations so that it is results-oriented, reciprocal, and fair,” he tweeted.
Last week, Chinese media outlets refused to publish an opinion article by Mr. Branstad, prompting Mr. Pompeo to slam Beijing for what he said “exposes the Chinese Communist Party’s fear of free speech and serious intellectual debate — as well as Beijing’s hypocrisy when it complains about lack of fair and reciprocal treatment in other countries.”
Mr. Branstad’s op-ed, which was expected to be published by the official Communist Party’s newspaper People’s Daily, called for closer ties through “unrestricted engagement and uncensored discussion.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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