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| US diplomat in China quits 'over Trump climate change policy' | US diplomat in China quits 'over Trump climate change policy' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A top diplomat at the US embassy in Beijing has stepped down, apparently because he disagreed with President Donald Trump's climate change policy. | A top diplomat at the US embassy in Beijing has stepped down, apparently because he disagreed with President Donald Trump's climate change policy. |
| The State Department said Deputy Chief of Mission David Rank had resigned. | The State Department said Deputy Chief of Mission David Rank had resigned. |
| US media outlets reported he stepped down over Mr Trump's controversial announcement last week that the US was withdrawing from the Paris agreement. | |
| The decision, which Mr Trump said would protect the US economy, was met with much rancour worldwide. | The decision, which Mr Trump said would protect the US economy, was met with much rancour worldwide. |
| Mr Rank reportedly told embassy staff at a meeting that he was directed to present a formal notification of the US decision to Chinese authorities, and that he could not defend that decision. | |
| The New York Times quoted unnamed friends of Mr Rank as saying he was deeply frustrated about the US policy toward China, particularly regarding climate change. | |
| The State Department said in a statement that "Mr Rank made a personal decision. We appreciate his years of dedicated service." It added that the embassy's economics councillor Jonathan Fritz would now serve in his place. | |
| Mr Rank, who was appointed in January 2016, was effectively the top US diplomat in China as he was also the acting ambassador. Terry Branstad, who was selected by Mr Trump for the post, fills that position later this month. | |
| Mr Rank joined the department in 1990 and had previously served in Afghanistan, Taiwan, Greece and Mauritius, according to his profile page which was still on the Beijing embassy's website as of Tuesday. | |
| Mr Trump provoked widespread condemnation when he announced the withdrawal from the Paris deal, where countries voluntarily agree to cut emissions and support poorer nations to adapt to climate change. | |
| During his election campaign, he had claimed that climate change was a hoax. | |
| The US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has since said that Mr Trump "believes in climate change" and that the US "has to be responsible for it". |