There's no place like Nebraska for beef

I had to chuckle when I read a recent story in China Daily about how Terry Branstad, the new US ambassador to China, had a wish fulfilled shortly after arriving in Beijing to take up his new post.

It seems that Branstad, the former governor of the US state of Iowa, had remarked to a Chinese trade delegation visiting Iowa before his departure that he sure would like to have some US beef once he got to Beijing.

China had just renewed imports of US beef since a ban was imposed in 2003 following a mad cow disease scare, and Branstad wanted to get his fork into the good stuff.