The most senior career diplomat at the US embassy in China has stepped down, amid reports that he opposes the Trump administration’s decision to quit the Paris agreement to fight climate change.
David Rank, a 27-year veteran state department officer, was appointed to serve as chargé d’affaires in Beijing in January last year.
A state department spokeswoman confirmed Rank’s departure but said she was unable to confirm reports that he resigned as he felt unable to deliver a formal notification to China of the US decision last week to quit the agreement.
“He has retired from the foreign service,” said Anna Richey-Allen, a spokeswoman for the department’s East Asia bureau. “Mr Rank has made a personal decision. We appreciate his years of dedicated service to the state department.”
Iowa governor Terry Branstad, Donald Trump’s pick as the next US ambassador to Beijing, is expected to take up the post later this month.
A tweet from the China expert John Pomfret quoted unnamed sources as saying that Rank had resigned as he could not support Trump’s decision last week to withdraw from the Paris agreement.
David Rank, no.2 @USEmbassyBJ, has resigned, sources say. He couldn't back Trump on climate. Rank had 27yr career including @USEmbassyKabul
— John Pomfret 潘文 (@JEPomfret) June 5, 2017
In another tweet, Pomfret said Rank called a town hall meeting to announce his decision to embassy staff and explained that he could not deliver a diplomatic note informing the Chinese government of the US decision.
A senior US official confirmed the account given in the tweets but added that after Rank announced his intention to retire on Monday in Beijing, he was told by the state department to leave his post immediately. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
Rank, a career foreign service officer who took over the post of deputy chief of mission in Beijing in January 2016, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Jonathan Fritz, the embassy’s economics councillor, would serve as chargé in his place, Richey-Allen said.
Trump’s announcement last Thursday that he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, saying the agreement would undermine the US economy and cost jobs, drew anger and condemnation from world leaders and heads of industry.
