18 May 2009
Obama Names Utah Governor to be U.S. Ambassador to China
Washington — President Obama has selected Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. to be the next U.S. ambassador to China, reflecting the president’s regard for the breadth of issues at stake between the United States and China and also the unique character of the man he picked for the job.
“This ambassadorship is as important as any in the world — because the United States will best be able to deal effectively with global challenges in the 21st century by working in concert with China,” Obama said in making the announcement May 16 in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room.
The appointment requires U.S. Senate approval.
Huntsman, 49, who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, served in the federal government before becoming Utah’s governor in 2005. He served as a deputy assistant commerce secretary of the Trade Development Bureau from 1989 to 1990 and as deputy commerce secretary for East Asia and the Pacific during the administration of President George H.W. Bush; U.S. ambassador to Singapore in 1992-1993; and as deputy U.S. trade representative in 2001-2003 in the administration of President George W. Bush. He also served as a White House assistant in the Reagan administration.
Huntsman was re-elected to his second term as governor in November 2008, and had been viewed by political consultants as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2012.
“When the president of the United States asks you to step up and serve in a capacity like this, that to me is the end of the conversation and the beginning of the obligation to rise to the challenge,” Huntsman said in accepting the ambassadorial nomination.
The selection of an ambassadorial candidate with Huntsman’s qualifications underscores the importance Obama places on the future course of U.S.-China relations. The range of issues spans the current global economic crisis, regional security threats that include North Korea in Northeast Asia and Pakistan in South Asia, energy security and climate change, public health, human rights, nuclear nonproliferation, and terrorism and violent political extremism. Obama already has spoken with Chinese President Hu Jintao about these and other issues during bilateral meetings before the G20 Financial Summit in London in early April, and is planning further meetings later this year.
“We will launch a new era of partnership between our two nations that will advance our shared dreams of opportunity and security in America, in Asia, and around the world,” Obama said. “I can think of no more important assignment than creating the kinds of bridges between our two countries that will determine the well-being not just of Americans and Chinese, but also the future of the world.”
The selection, in part, was significant because Huntsman served as the national campaign co-chairman and a one-time senior strategist for U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign against Obama in 2008.
Before Huntsman became the Utah governor, he was the chairman and chief executive of his family’s business, Huntsman Corporation, a global chemical manufacturer with more than 12,000 employees worldwide and revenues in 2008 that exceeded $10 billion, according to the Associated Press.
Obama’s senior national security adviser on Asia, Jeff Bader, knew Huntsman from working with him at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office and discussed the ambassadorial appointment about a month ago, the White House said. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met with Huntsman two weeks ago and Obama made a formal offer on May 5, the White House said, according to the Associated Press. Both men met at the White House after that.
“You have my commitment that we will take the U.S.-China relationship to new heights, focused not just on that which divides us, but more importantly, on that which unites us, knowing that this will be critical for lasting peace and prosperity for citizens on both sides of the Pacific,” Huntsman said.
Huntsman learned Mandarin Chinese while serving as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan. He and his wife, Mary Kaye, have seven children, including an adopted daughter from China and another adopted daughter from India. He attended the University of Utah, but later earned his bachelor’s degree in international politics from the University of Pennsylvania.
At the conclusion of his remarks, Huntsman, speaking in Mandarin Chinese, quoted his favorite Chinese aphorism — “together we work, together we progress” — in referring to U.S.-China relations.
The White House transcript of Obama’s and Huntsman’s remarks is available on America.gov.
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