title: Trump's nominee for China ambassador takes tough line on South China Sea
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to China took a tough line on Tuesday on China’s development of “artificial islands” in the South China Sea. “China cannot be allowed to use its artificial islands to coerce its neighbors or limit freedom of navigation or overflight,” Iowa’s Republican Gov. Terry Branstad said at his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing. 