American Business Leaders Upbeat on New U.S. Ambassador to China

(Beijing) — American business leaders were upbeat on the naming of a new U.S. ambassador to China, optimistic that Iowa Governor Terry Branstad will be able to use his years of related experience and relationships to improve trade relations between the world's two largest economies.

As the long-serving governor of the central U.S. state, Branstad has a relationship with China dating back to 1985 when a Chinese delegation — including a then-31-year-old Xi Jinping — made a visit to study the state's agricultural practices. Since then, Branstad has been a strong supporter of trade in Iowa's agricultural goods with China, and describes Xi, now China's president, as an "old friend."