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."

Utah's Republican senators, Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett, expressed delight over their governor's promotion. Hatch said Huntsman's qualifications are "tailor-made for this important position." Bennett said he has touted Huntsman as a possible ambassador to China since George W. Bush was president. The senator said he originally made the recommendation to Bush's first secretary of State, Colin Powell.

Huntsman's positions on the environment and other issues have led some to consider him a potential contender for president in 2012.

He signed an initiative that would set a regional cap-and-trade effort to reduce global warming. In a 2006 speech at Shanghai Normal University, Huntsman spoke of the need for China and the United States to work together on environmental issues.

"The United States and China must be good examples and stewards of the Earth. We must match economic progress with environmental stewardship. The effects of industrialization are felt worldwide," Huntsman said then.

Throughout his tenure as governor, Huntsman's background as a diplomat has been evident. He preferred to win over opponents in private meetings rather than using his bully pulpit to give rousing speeches.

One of his most significant achievements was loosening the state's restrictive liquor laws over the objections of many in heavily Mormon Utah in an effort to make the state more appealing for visitors.

Huntsman has stated that he favors civil unions for gay couples even though he backed a state constitutional amendment passed in 2004 that prohibited same-sex marriage.

Huntsman's comments on civil unions drew the ire of conservatives in Utah and elsewhere.

Officials in Michigan last month canceled a GOP county fundraiser where Huntsman was to speak.

Huntsman's career began as a staff assistant in the Ronald Reagan administration and he also served as ambassador to Singapore under President George H.W. Bush and as a deputy U.S. trade representative and U.S. trade ambassador under President George W. Bush.

Utah's only Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Jim Matheson, said he was pleased with the appointment. "It's a great bipartisan appointment by the president," he said.

Before becoming governor in 2005, Huntsman made millions serving as chairman and chief executive of his family chemical company.

If confirmed by the Senate, Huntsman will succeed Clark Randt as U.S. ambassador to China.

Randt, a classmate of George W. Bush at Yale University, served as Washington's top envoy to Beijing from July 2001 until January, making him the longest-serving U.S. ambassador to China since the two nations established diplomatic ties.

Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert would become governor until a special election in 2010.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY