Pompeo tweet indicates north-central Iowa native Branstad, US Ambassador to China, is leaving

BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to China, north-central Iowa native and former Iowa governor Terry Branstad, appears to be leaving his post, based on tweets by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

Pompeo thanked Branstad for more than three years of service on Twitter on Monday. There was no immediate confirmation from the State Department. 

Branstad was embroiled in a recent controversy when China’s official People’s Daily newspaper rejected a column that he had submitted. It wasn’t clear if his departure was related to the piece. 

Pompeo said in a follow-up tweet that Branstad contributed to a rebalancing of U.S.-China relations to make them results-oriented, reciprocal and fair.