Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People on April 15, 2013 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Andy Wong – Pool/Getty Images)

One never knows whether President-elect Donald Trump means what he says or says what him means.

After his provocative phone call with Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen and his tweet storms bashing China, many China watchers started to worry that a US-China trade war might be imminent.

But then, he nominated the Iowa governor Terry Branstad as his ambassador to China, a move immediately welcomed by Beijing. Mr. Branstad is considered “a longtime friend of the Chinese people,” and knows the Chinese President Xi Jinping personally.

If approved by the Senate, Mr. Branstad can play a positive role in US-China relations.

First, the Chinese value personal relationships more than anything else. Continue reading What To Expect From Trump’s China Ambassador