Politics & Government

Obama to Nominate Former Gov. Gary Locke as US Ambassador to China

Tomorrow, President Obama plans to formally nominate Gary Locke, former Washington Governor and now Commerce Secretary, as Ambassador to China.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama plans to officially nominate former Washington State Governor Gary Locke to the position of Ambassador to China, according to national news reports.

Locke was the first Chinese-American to be elected as Governor of Washington, a title he held for two terms, from 1997 to 2005. He was appointed as United States Secretary of Commerce in 2009 and was again the first Chinese-American to serve in that position.

Locke has an established political rapport with China that spans over 20 years, which Obama sees as an asset to protecting American interests overseas,Β ABC News reports.

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Current Ambassador to China, former Gov. of Utah Jon Huntsman (R), plans to head stateside in April to explore a presidential run in 2012.


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