{"id":9785,"date":"2011-07-27T18:07:20","date_gmt":"2011-07-27T18:07:20","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2011-07-27T18:07:20","modified_gmt":"2011-07-27T18:07:20","slug":"US-Senate-confirms-Locke-as-China-ambassador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=9785","title":{"rendered":"US Senate confirms Locke as China ambassador"},"content":{"rendered":"

US commerce secretary Gary Locke won unanimous Senate confirmation yesterday as ambassador to Beijing, becoming the first Chinese-American to hold the prestigious and difficult diplomatic post.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Locke, whose grandfather came from China to the United States on a steamboat<\/strong>, promised during his smooth confirmation hearings to be a forceful advocate for human rights and for US businesses.<\/p>\n

The new envoy, 61, succeeds Republican former Utah governor Jon Huntsman<\/strong>, who left Beijing some three months ago and has mounted a run against former boss President Barack Obama in the November 2012 elections.<\/p>\n

Locke takes over at a time of tensions in US-China relations<\/strong>, which have been fraught over a range of disputes including Beijing’s export-driven economic policies, growing military spending and human rights record.<\/p>\n

And US lawmakers, locked in a angry debate over cash-strapped Washington’s debt, have increasingly painted China’s status as the country’s largest foreign creditor as a source of concern<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Senators approved Locke by voice vote.<\/p>\n

He grew up in Seattle’s public housing projects and worked his way through Yale University, eventually becoming a prosecutor and the governor of Washington state. He had been commerce secretary since 2009.<\/p>\n

He said during his Senate confirmation hearings that he would use his personal story to reach out to China’s people<\/strong>, but not shy away from sensitive issues like his “vigorous disagreement” with Beijing’s leaders on human rights.<\/p>\n

Locke, pointing to his work in Obama’s cabinet, said he would also fight for US businesses<\/strong> by pressing for protection of intellectual property and for the right of foreign firms to compete for government contracts.<\/p>\n

Senators also voiced concerns about China’s military strength against Taiwan and the value of its currency<\/strong>, which critics accuse Beijing of keeping artificially low to boost exports at the expense of US firms.<\/p>\n

At the time of his nomination in March, China had welcomed the prospects of his arrival in Beijing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After his arrival in the United States, Locke’s grandfather worked for a family as their house-boy in return for English lessons.<\/p>\n

Source AFP<\/em>
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