May 11, 2023, Washington, D.C. — The University Club of Washington, D.C. today hosted a discussion with the former U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, Terry Branstad.
“It is my honor to welcome Ambassador Terry Branstad to The University Club of Washington, D.C.,” said University Club President Douglas G. Bonner. He highlighted Mr. Branstad's distinction as the longest-serving governor in U.S. history (Iowa) and his key diplomatic post as U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from 2017-2020 during the Trump Administration.
President Bonner shared that Branstad has known Xi Jinping for nearly 40 years and that Xi Jinping has referred to Branstad as his “old friend.”
During a fireside chat with Paul Minehart, Chair of the International Committee of The University Club of Washington, D.C., Branstad shared lessons learned from his time in public service and international relations. He spoke about his upbringing in Iowa and his successful political career, including being a six-term governor and then ambassador.
"I’m just a poor farm kid from Iowa,” said Branstad. “My Jewish mother told me, ‘Get a good education because they can never take that away from you.’ Well, I took that to heart."
Ambassador Branstad shared that his mother also advised him to not run for legislature until he finished law school. While he normally took his mother’s advice, he ignored her this time, and it paid off. “A spot was open. It was the right timing and the right decision,” he recalled, “I’m proud to say that I’ve never lost an election.”
Branstad was forthright in his counsel on China, “China looks at us as a declining power and themselves as a growing power. We have to be aware of their ambitions.”
To counter China’s economic ambitions, Branstad said, “We have to play to our own strengths and do everything we can to help American companies compete.”
Ambassador Branstad has led a distinguished career in public service, serving in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 before being elected governor of Iowa, serving from 1983 to 1999 and again from 2011 to 2017. He was named U.S. Ambassador to China in 2017. He also served as President of Des Moines University Medical School from 2003-09. In January 2023, he became President of the Des Moines-based World Food Prize Foundation.
Often referred to as "The Fixer" and "Mr. Iowa," Ambassador Branstad was renowned for his ability to identify and address complex issues with fairness and equity. As Senior Partner of Branstad Churchill Group, he helped navigate the intricacies of U.S. and Chinese businesses.
"You often hear that the longer you serve, the more enemies you make. That’s not true,” said Branstad. “If you do a good job and you are honest and hardworking, it will pay off, and you will be respected, even by those who don’t agree with you."