The US ambassador to China will step down early next month, ending a three-year tenure marked by a trade war and increasingly bitter relations between the world's two largest economies.
Terry Branstad, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, confirmed his decision in a phone call with Trump last week, the US Embassy said in a statement on Monday. It did not give a reason for his departure.
"I am proudest of our work in getting the phase one trade deal and delivering tangible results for our communities back home," he was quoted as saying at an embassy staff meeting