Obama names GOP gov. envoy to China

SALT LAKE CITY -- President Obama reached across the political divide Saturday and named Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a potential Republican presidential contender in 2012, to the sensitive diplomatic post of U.S. ambassador to China.

Fluent in Mandarin Chinese from his days as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan, the 49-year-old Huntsman is a popular two-term governor who served in both Bush administrations and was national co-chairman of Arizona Sen. John McCain's campaign against Obama last year. Huntsman has made a name for himself advocating a moderate agenda in one of the nation's most conservative states.

With Huntsman by his side, Obama said in brief remarks in the White House Diplomatic Room that he made the appointment "mindful of its extraordinary significance. Given the breadth of issues at stake in our relationship with China, this ambassadorship is as important as any in the world because the United States will best be able to deal effectively with global challenges in the 21st century by working in concert with China."

Despite working for Obama's opponent last fall, Huntsman has a key connection at the White House: The president's senior Asia adviser, Jeff Bader, worked with Huntsman at the U.S. Trade Representative's office during President George W. Bush's first term.

Obama hosted Huntsman at the White House to discuss the job a week ago, when the Utah governor was in town to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner. Huntsman was USA TODAY's guest at the dinner.

Huntsman made headlines recently for encouraging the Republican Party to swing in a more moderate direction if it wanted to bounce back from the 2008 elections, angering some conservatives.

His nomination, however, won bipartisan praise.

Obama's 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, said Huntsman is a Republican who "seems to understand the party has to adjust — not stubbornly believe that everything is OK and it is the country that has to change." Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said the appointment demonstrated Obama's commitment to "breaking down barriers."