The Wall Street Journal reports: "Newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad touted trade as he took the helm of an important diplomatic mission that has been mired in uncertainty under the Trump administration. Earlier this month, David Rank, who had headed the embassy's work as chargé d'affaires since the departure of former Ambassador Max Baucus, resigned over the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. Before that, staffers had complained of a lack of communication from Washington they said made it difficult to do their jobs. U.S. diplomats have said they hoped Mr. Branstad's arrival would steady the ship. The former six-term Iowa governor, who endorsed Mr. Trump in the election, is one of a relatively small number of ambassadors to be formally nominated and approved under the new president."

The New York Times comments:"Having just traveled to New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, China, Taiwan and now Hong Kong, I can say without an ounce of exaggeration that more than a few Asia-Pacific business and political leaders have taken President Trump's measure and concluded that — far from being a savvy negotiator — he's a sucker who's shrinking U.S. influence in this region and helping make China great again. These investors, trade experts and government officials are still stunned by an event that got next to no attention in the U.S. but was an earthquake out here — and a gift that will keep on giving America's allies pain and China gain for years to come. That was Trump's decision to tear up the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade deal in his first week in office — clearly without having read it or understanding its vast geo-economic implications."