Remember when Trump supposedly blundered
into a diplomatic minefield he had no comprehension of by taking a phone call
from the President of Taiwan? The same media that dismissed his presidential
run as comedy were dead certain that disaster lay ahead in a complex and
delicate diplomatic relationship.
So committed are Trump haters to the idea
that he cannot possibly have outsmarted them that they never bother to consider
that a plan may be at work. Average Americans understand that the
devastation of our manufacturing sector is in large part the result of that
delicate diplomatic balance, and the notion that it might be disrupted sounds
as satisfying as watching stuffy rich lady Margaret Dumont receive her
comeuppance at the hands of Groucho Marx.
Yesterday, Donald Trump revealed a
brilliant choice for Chinese ambassador on Facebook,
bypassing the media once again.
President-elect
Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate Governor Terry Branstad
of Iowa, the longest-serving governor in American history, to serve as the U.S.
Ambassador to China.
Gov.
Branstad's relationship with President Xi Jinping dates back to the mid-1980s,
when President Xi was a young county official seeking a closer relationship
with Iowa's robust agriculture sector.
“Governor
Branstad’s decades of experience in public service and long-time relationship
with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders make him the ideal choice
to serve as America’s Ambassador to China,” said President-elect Trump. “He
successfully developed close trade ties with China while serving as chief
executive of the Hawkeye State. That experience will serve him well as he
represents America’s interests and further develops a mutually beneficial
relationship with Chinese leadership.”
"After
long discussions with my family, I am honored and humbled to accept
President-elect Trump’s nomination to represent our great country as Ambassador
to China," said Gov. Branstad. "I have known President Xi Jinping for
many years and consider him an old friend. I look forward to building on our
long friendship to cultivate and strengthen the relationship between our two
countries and to benefit our economy. I am grateful for the opportunity I had
to serve as Governor of Iowa and I look forward to serving in this
extraordinary new role. Chris and I will always keep Iowa close to our
hearts."
Gov. Branstad
is the longest serving governor in American history, having served from 1983 to
1999 and again from 2011 until the present. Since leading his first delegation to
Hebei Province in 1984, the Governor has led six trade missions to China
meeting with numerous provincial governors, ministerial leaders and local
officials.
Gov. Branstad
is considered an “old friend”, a culturally significant title, by President Xi
and has a long-standing relationship with the Chinese Ambassador to the United
States Cui Tiankai.
Gov. Branstad
collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture for China, including meetings
with Minister Han Changfu and has worked closely with Madam Li Xiaolin of the
Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to further
relationships between states in America and Chinese provinces.
Gov. Branstad
was born, raised and educated in Iowa. A native of Leland, Branstad was elected
to the Iowa House in 1972, ’74 and ’76, and elected as Iowa’s lieutenant
governor in 1978. Following his four terms as governor, Branstad went on to
serve as president of Des Moines University from 2003-2009. On November 2, 2010
he was again elected governor where, under his leadership, the state of Iowa's
unemployment has fallen to 4.1 percent, well below the national average.
Gov. Branstad
supports President-elect Trump’s mission to negotiate trade deals that put
America’s interests first. He will work with President-elect Trump’s economic
team to negotiate fair trade deals that create American jobs, increase American
wages, and reduce America's trade deficit. He will also work with
President-elect Trump’s national security team to implement an America First
foreign policy that will advance America’s core national interests and promote
regional stability.
The claims about the importance of being
an “old friend” are spot on. Personal relationships are extremely important in
Chinese political and commercial culture. Branstad is just the guy to talk
about where this relationship is going from now on, now that political
realities in the United States have changed and the people have spoken.
The fact that Trump was able to talk
Governor Branstad out of continuing to break the record for longer-serving
governor shows me that big plans are afoot with China. This appointment did not
occur to Trump after the Taiwan phone call.
Once again, Trump is thinking at least two
chess moves ahead of the haters.
Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/12/one_more_example_of_trump_thinking_two_steps_ahead_of_the_trumphaters.html#ixzz4SIRFKkBJ
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