Terry Branstad speaks to the press meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 6, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

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.