Ambassador role places Branstad on the 'front line of American power and influence'

Serving as ambassador to China will be the challenge of Terry Branstad’s life, foreign policy experts and a former envoy said — at times frustrating and demoralizing, always difficult, but also endlessly fascinating and potentially consequential on a worldwide stage.

Once he’s confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Iowa's six-term governor will become the chief messenger between the leaders of the largest economies, and the largest militaries, in the world. He'll oversee a vast diplomatic operation amid a tense time in U.S.-China relations, leading talks on matters ranging from trade practices to island building to nuclear proliferation.

“The governor and his family are stepping into the most complex and important relationship of the 21st century,” said Jon Huntsman, the former Republican governor from Utah who was ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011.

Read the full article at The Des Moines Register.