The departure of Rank from the State Department has been confirmed by a spokeswoman, who mentioned that he retired from the foreign service. The reason for his departure, as mentioned in Twitter posts, was his inability to deliver a formal notification to China about the US decision to quit the agreement. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is expected to replace Rank as the next US ambassador to Beijing later this month. According to a tweet by China expert John Pomfret, unnamed sources stated that Rank resigned because he disagreed with Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement. Pomfret also tweeted that Rank held a town hall meeting to inform embassy staff of his decision and explain that he could not deliver a diplomatic note to the Chinese government. A senior US official confirmed the information in the tweets, adding that Rank announced his intention to retire on Monday in Beijing but was then instructed by the State Department to leave his post immediately. The official spoke anonymously. Additionally, a separate US official said that on June 1, the US State Department accepted the resignation of its top personnel officer, who was one of the last remaining senior Obama administration political appointees. Arnold Chacon, who had held positions as director general of the foreign service and director of human resources, resigned from his position when President Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, as is customary for all presidential appointees. The news of Chacon's resignation was first reported by the DiploPundit website. It is uncertain at this time if he will be offered another role within the department. With the exception of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, his deputy John Sullivan, and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon, many of the State Department's top positions are currently either vacant or filled by acting officials. Chacon and Rank, a seasoned foreign service officer who recently became the deputy chief of mission in Beijing, were not available for immediate comment. Instead, Jonathan Fritz, the embassy's economics councillor, will temporarily take over as chargé, according to Richey-Allen. Rank had a long career with the department, including a stint as political councillor at the US Embassy in Afghanistan. President Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate accord sparked backlash from global leaders and industry heads.