Obama names Republican governor as envoy to China

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1630730520090516

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday named the Republican governor of Utah to be the next U.S. ambassador to China, a pivotal post in relations between the United States and a major emerging economic power.

Jon Huntsman Jr., 49, a Mandarin-speaking former U.S. trade official with deep personal and family business ties to China, takes on a delicate diplomatic role with a vital trading partner and one of the biggest sources of financing for the growing pile of U.S. government debt.

"This ambassadorship is as important as any in the world because the United States will best be able to deal effectively with the global challenges of the 21st century by working in concert with China," Obama said at a White House ceremony with Huntsman at his side.

But Obama also used his nomination of Huntsman, a former ambassador to Singapore who was co-chairman of Senator John McCain's presidential campaign and has been mentioned as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2012, to send a message to China's communist leadership.

"Improved relations with China will require candor and open discussion about those issues where we don't always agree, such as human rights and democracy and free speech, and will require that each of our nations play by the rules in open and honest competition," Obama said.

Huntsman is the son of billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman, and his family founded chemical company Huntsman Corp, which has operations in China, including a factory in Shanghai. One of Huntsman's seven children, daughter Gracie Mei, was adopted from China.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1630730520090516
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Huntsman_Jr

Huntsman's maternal grandfather David B. Haight was an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which Huntsman and his family are also members. Huntsman has eight brothers and sisters and over 60 nieces and nephews on his side of the family.

Huntsman is a seventh-generation Utahn; his wife Mary Kaye is a first-generation Utahn. Together they have seven children: Mary Anne (b. 1985), Abigail (b. 1988), Elizabeth (b. 1989), Jon III (b. 1991), William (b. 1993), Gracie Mei (b. 2000), who is adopted from China, and another baby girl from India, Asha Bharati (b. 2006).

As governor, Huntsman lists economic development, health-care reform, education and energy security as his top priorities. He has overseen large tax cuts and has advocated reorganizing the way that services are distributed so that the government will not become overwhelmed by the state's fast growing population. Huntsman would like to expand health-care, mainly through the private sector, by using tax breaks and negotiation to keep prices down. He also advocates encouraging people with insurance to use it as preventive care. The governor also sees Utah as being uncompetitive with the rest of the nation in terms of securing the best teachers.<7>

Huntsman is receptive to environmental issues and would like the state to reduce fuel and energy consumption. He is also concerned with nuclear waste being stored within his state. On hot button social issues, such as abortion and gun control, Huntsman generally walks a more conservative line. The same is somewhat true for gay marriage, though he has shown support for civil unions.<8><9> He also defines his taxation policy as "business friendly."<10> Huntsman has spoken out against his own party over the failure of the Republican-controlled State Senate to confirm his nominee for the Utah Court of Appeals.

Huntsman's name has appeared on some lists of potential Republican nominees for the 2012 presidential election,<11> and John McCain has gone so far as to mention his name as a potential candidate as well.<12>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Huntsman_Jr
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Another ultimate insider. family has huge holdings and interests in China. Believes tax breaks and negotiation is the way to control businesses(Certainly worked in the financial sector, right?)

Actually could be another spearhead for religion, troops handing out christian bibles in Afghanistan, Mormons get China, wonder who the Scientologists will get? I can see John Travolta or Tom Cruise as special Whitehouse emissary to Lichtenstein...maybe Will and Jada to Malta?

:evilgrin:

Right now, China needs more American Assholes. The Mideast needs less.