DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has announced his choice of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to be the next U.S. ambassador to China. Trump announced his pick of Branstad on Wednesday at a Manhattan fundraiser. A Trump transition spokesman confirmed that Branstad had accepted the nomination. Branstad aides didn’t respond to questions Wednesday about the matter.

Branstad will face a U.S. Senate confirmation process that could take weeks as Trump himself prepares to be sworn in as president. When Branstad resigns as governor, he’ll be replaced by Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, making her the first female governor of Iowa. Branstad will join Trump at a rally in Des Moines on Thursday.

If Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad becomes the next U.S. ambassador to China, he may want to leave any Masonic symbols at home. That’s because the Freemasons group that Branstad belongs to has been banned in mainland China for decades. Branstad accepted President-elect Donald Trump’s offer of the ambassador post Wednesday.

Tim Anderson with the Grand Lodge of Iowa says the group’s belief in freedom of speech and expression probably isn’t popular in China. Masonic groups often run into trouble in Communist countries because of their secret meetings. Brent Morris, who wrote “The Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry,” says Communist governments generally don’t want citizens meeting in secret.

Branstad isn’t new to China. He has led several trade missions there, and he has known China’s president since 1985 when he visited Iowa.