China-US tension: ambassador Terry Branstad to step down but America offers no news on a replacement

Terry Branstad is highly regarded in China despite growing tension and confrontation; his departure is ‘a blow for bilateral ties’, says analyst

Branstad says he’s proud of phase one trade deal and privileged to have met Chinese people and heard their stories

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President Xi Jinping and Terry Branstad (right) in 2017. Branstad’s term as US ambassador to China will end in October. Photo: AP

Published: 6:04pm, 14 Sep 2020Updated: 11:34pm, 14 Sep 2020

The United States ambassador to China is stepping down amid a spiralling rivalry between the world’s two largest economies, the American embassy said in a statement.

The departure of Terry Branstad, whom Beijing once billed as “an old friend of the Chinese people”, would deal another blow to the deeply fraught US-China relationship amid fears of the Cold War-style confrontation, according to analysts.

“[Branstad] will retire from his position as US envoy and depart Beijing in early October. The ambassador confirmed his decision to President [Donald] Trump by phone last week,” the embassy said on Monday.

There has been no news of his replacement.

Over the weekend, Trump had said Branstad would return to the US while praising the campaign efforts of the ambassador’s son, Eric Branstad.

“Eric’s father’s coming home from China because he wants to campaign,” Trump said, in a phone call with supporters of Republican Iowa Senator Joni Ernst.

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