A spokeswoman from the State Department confirmed that Rank has left his position, but stated that she could not confirm reports on Twitter claiming that he resigned because he was unable to formally notify China of the US decision to withdraw from the agreement. "He has retired from the foreign service," said Anna Richey-Allen, the spokesperson for the department's East Asia Bureau. "Mr. Rank made a personal decision and we thank him for his years of service." Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who has been chosen by President Trump as the next US ambassador to Beijing, is expected to assume the role later this month. A tweet by China expert John Pomfret reported that an unnamed source stated that Rank had resigned because he could not support Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement. Another tweet by Pomfret mentioned 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 tweets' account but also mentioned that Rank was instructed by the State Department to leave his post immediately after announcing his retirement in Beijing. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also stated that the US State Department accepted the resignation of its top personnel officer, who was one of the last senior political appointees from the Obama administration. Arnold Chacon, who held positions as the director general of the foreign service and director of human resources, resigned from his post when President Trump took office on January 20, along with all other presidential appointees. The acceptance of his resignation was reported by the DiploPundit website. It is uncertain if Chacon will be offered another position within the department. Currently, aside from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a few others, many senior positions at the State Department are either vacant or filled by acting officials. Chacon and Rank, a career foreign service officer who recently became deputy chief of mission in Beijing, were unavailable for comment. As a result, Jonathan Fritz, the embassy's economics councillor, will serve as chargé in Rank's absence. Rank has been with the department for 27 years and previously served as political councillor at the US Embassy in Afghanistan. President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord on Thursday, citing concerns about its impact on the US economy and job market, has sparked criticism from global leaders and industry heads.