US President Barack Obama will nominate US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, the son and grandson of Chinese immigrants, to be the next US ambassador to China, a senior administration official said on Monday. A formal announcement was expected as early as yesterday.
If confirmed by the Senate, Locke would succeed Jon Huntsman, one of the few Republicans in Obama’s administration. Huntsman’s recently tendered resignation is effective at the end of next month, and he is being eyed as a potential Republican challenger to Obama in next year’s presidential contest.
The Obama administration official requested anonymity to speak ahead of the formal announcement.
Photo: Reuters
Locke, 61, is the first Chinese American to serve as commerce secretary. His father and grandfather were born in China.
In an interview on Monday, hours before word of his nomination began to spread, Locke touted the economic relationship he has helped build between the US and China. He said US exports to China had increased 34 percent last year.
Obama sees boosting US exports as a way to save and create jobs as the economy continues its slow walk out of its worst slump in a generation. He has set a goal of doubling the amount of US goods that are sold to other countries within five years — an effort in which Locke has been a key cheerleader.
Locke said China is becoming more accessible to US companies, though he said that progress has been slow in coming.
“We in government and the business community want more and faster progress,” he said. “There’s still a long way to go.”
The US trade deficit with China reached US$273.1 billion last year, the largest imbalance the US has ever recorded with any country.
Locke said that in areas such as intellectual property rights, the US needs to “keep the Chinese accountable” and “constantly monitor them, and let them know that we’re not just going to accept their assurances.”
As the son of a Chinese immigrant, he is held in high esteem in China.
Before joining the administration, Locke worked on China issues for a Seattle-based law firm. He joined the firm after declining to seek a third term as Washington state governor; Locke became the US’ first Chinese-American state chief executive when he was elected governor in 1996.
White House aides have been less than thrilled by Huntsman’s overt interest in exploring a presidential bid next year — and possibly becoming the Republican who tries to deny a second term to Obama, who soon will be his former boss.
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a