US ambassador to China leaving post amid heightened tensions

United States Ambassador to China Terry Branstad will step down amid an escalation of tensions between Washington and Beijing over a whole host of issues.

The US Embassy in China said on Monday that Branstad was expected to retire from his post while media sources reported that he would leave Beijing before the November presidential election in the US.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged the ambassador's "years of service" in a tweet on Monday.

I thank Ambassador Terry Branstad for his more than three years of service to the American people as U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) September 14, 2020

"Ambassador Branstad has contributed to rebalancing US-China relations so that it is results-oriented, reciprocal, and fair," Pompeo added.

Pompeo did not give any reason for the ambassador leaving his post; however, he pointed out that Branstad had been initially chosen by President Donald Trump for the job because of "his decades long experience dealing with China."

Branstad has been "the best person to represent the [Trump] Administration and to defend American interests and ideals in this important relationship," Pompeo tweeted.

Pompeo has not named the envoy's successor yet.

Branstad has overseen one of the worst episodes in US-China relations in recent history.

ME