washington president donald trump nominee ambassador china promise tuesday take firm line beijing issue north korea trade dispute human right seem poise easy confirmation u.s. senate iowa governor terry branstad say would use decades experience china press beijing encourage north korea curb nuclear ambition things diplomatically economically send clear signal well unite state countries world tolerate expansion nuclear technology missiles branstad say confirmation hear press branstad say may well role measure impose secondary sanction chinese bank entities violate u.n. security council resolutions business north korea offer specifics beijing chinese foreign ministry spokesman geng shuang reiterate china serious enforce u.n. resolutions refer possibility secondary u.s. sanction say china oppose countries use law sanction others harm chinese interest chinese president xi jinping call branstad 70 old friend decades deal agricultural trade republican governor insist would take difficult issue complicate washington relationship large trade partner major creditor would contrast trump recent warm word xi cause u.s. ally wonder trump focus work china north korea mean washington may still back fact leader china call us old friend mean go reluctant bashful bring issue ... human right intellectual property right branstad tell senate foreign relations committee committee members express concern branstad signal likely confirm easily tough word china senator bob corker panel republican chairman blast china action south china sea cyber theft intellectual property warn focus short-term goals expense long-term u.s. interest country world many issue corker say branstad take hard line south china sea say china allow use artificial islands coerce neighbor limit freedom navigation overflight trump take america first approach trade branstad also stress importance open market agricultural goods protect intellectual property address china unfair illegal sales low-priced steel trump nominee china ambassador promise firm line beijing