Obama likely to nominate Gary Locke as new US Ambassador to China

March 8th, 2011 - 2:08 pm ICT by ANI  

Barack Obama Washington, Mar.8 (ANI): President Barack Obama will nominate Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as the new US Ambassador to China, according to senior US officials.

Locke would replace current ambassador Jon Huntsman, who is due to leave the post on April 30.

Huntsman announced his resignation, fuelling speculation that he may be preparing for a 2012 White House bid.

Locke is the first Chinese-American to serve as US Commerce Secretary. A formal announcement of his nomination as the US Ambassador to China is expected soon, The BBC reports.

He joined the Obama administration in March 2009. He is a former two-term Democratic Governor of Washington.

Huntsman, a Republican and former Utah Governor, was appointed Beijing envoy by Obama in 2009. The White House has declined to speculate on Huntsman’s future plans. (ANI)

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