Iowa Gov. Branstad is Trump's pick for ambassador to China

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, the incoming Trump administration's pick for ambassador to China, has long promoted his state's abundant agricultural products to China, but he would be thrust into the middle of increasing talk of a trade war with the United States' largest trading partner.

"Gov. Branstad is an old friend of the Chinese people," China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang commented on this today at a regular briefing.

Branstad was a loyal supporter of Trump once the billionaire was the presumptive Republican Party nominee, and Branstad's elder son, Eric, was chairman of Trump's winning campaign for Iowa's six Electoral College votes.

Trump made closing the U.S. trade gap with China a top priority during the just-finished presidential election campaign.

Chinese officials warned that Trump is bound by World Trade Organization rules, which restrain countries from imposing sanctions without making a persuasive case for them.

During the general election campaign, Branstad expressed support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying the trade deal would benefit Iowa's agricultural industry.