The Cedar Rapids Gazette is reporting that Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has accepted a position with the Trump administration and will become the U.S. Ambassador to China. That is according to Bloomberg new services citing several unnamed sources.

The move is a crucial one for the incoming administration. Branstad is a longtime friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. relations with China have also been strained recently after President-elect Trump reached out to Taiwan, which China believes is a rogue country.

Branstad is the longest serving governor in U.S. history. He started his second run as governor in 2011 after serving in the post from 1983 to 1999. The governor's office was not available for comment late Tuesday night.

 

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