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US sends special envoy to China

The US Treasury Department named a special envoy to China on Thursday, strengthening US efforts to persuade Beijing to overhaul its currency system.

It was the latest in a series of steps over the past week to intensify pressure on China to change currency and trade practices that critics blame for the US' bloated trade deficits.

Treasury Secretary John Snow appointed Olin Wethington as his special envoy on China, a new position that will focus heavily on financial diplomacy with China's economic officials, department spokesman Tony Fratto said.

Wethington has worked as an adviser to Snow, overseeing US-led reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. He will assume his new duties immediately, Fratto said.

Wethington will not only work with the Chinese but also consult about Chinese trade matters with the International Monetary Fund, other international financial institutions and the world's seven richest countries, Fratto said.
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