Gary Locke to step down as U.S. Ambassador to China

Ambassador will leave Beijing post in early 2014 to rejoin family in Seattle



Gary Locke, the American ambassador to China, has announced that he intends to step down from his post early next year to rejoin his family back in the United States: U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke to step down, rejoin family in Seattle.

Locke, the first Chinese American ambassador to China, has held the post since August 2011. He reportedly informed President Obama of his decision when they met earlier this month.

The Atlantic praises Locke's service in China as "a blueprint for managing Sino-American relations." Among his accomplishments during his tenure as ambassador, Locke is credited with cutting waiting times for U.S. visas to three to five days, down from 70 to 100 days when he took over.

But Ambassador Locke might be best remembered in China for an awesome photograph of him at the airport, carrying his own backpack and getting his own coffee. The photo, taken before he even arrived in China, caused a social media stir, painting the new ambassador as a down-to-earth dude.

Here's Ambassador Locke's statement on his decision to step down as U.S. Ambassador to China:

gary locke challenges sentiments of race, nationalism and ancestry as ambassador to china

Checking in with Gary Locke... so how has the Ambassador been doing since he took up his new post in China? Here's an interesting Associated Press article on the challenges, reactions and perceptions with being the very first Chinese American ambassador to China: Admired and reviled, Chinese-American ambassador challenges China's views on ethnicity.

the ambassador gets his own coffee

Hey look! It's Gary Locke, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to China, carrying his own backpack and ordering his own coffee... just like a regular dude. No big deal, right? It's apparently a big deal in China: Photo of bag-carrying ambassador charms China.

This photo, candidly snapped last week at Seattle Tacoma International Airport and uploaded to a Chinese social media network, has apparently created quite a buzz amongst those impressed by the simple average joe-ness of an official, sans entourage, getting his own coffee:

gary locke officially sworn in as u.s. ambassador to china

With his confirmation squared away last week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke formally resigned today and was sworn-in by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the next U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China: Clinton swears in Gary Locke as new US envoy to China, first Chinese-American to hold post.

Here's the official press release from the Department of Commerce: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Resigns and Becomes the Next U.S. Ambassador to China. And here's a transcript of remarks from the swearing-in ceremony: Remarks at Swearing-In Ceremony for Ambassador to China Gary Locke.

gary locke confirmed as ambassador to china

Yesterday, the Senate unanimously confirmed outgoing Commerce Secretary and former Washington governor Gary Locke as the next U.S. ambassador to China: Gary Locke confirmed as U.S. ambassador to China.

Locke, who is already a pioneer in politics, is the first Chinese American to serve as ambassador to Beijing. He replaces Republican Jon Huntsman, who left the position to enter the 2012 presidential race. I can't think of a more qualified public servant to take up the post.

obama officially names sung kim as ambassador to korea

This week, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Sung Y. Kim, the State Department's top Korean expert and the U.S. special envoy for the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, as the next Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, officially confirming what has already been widely reported on for weeks: Obama taps Korean American as Seoul envoy.

president obama officially names gary locke as u.s. ambassador to china

As previously reported, President Obama officially announced his nomination of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as the next U.S. Ambassador to China: Obama Officially Nominates Locke Ambassador to China.

In his remarks, President Obama called the United States' relationship with the China "one of the most critical of the 21st century," and Secretary Locke is the right person to responsibly oversee this relationship into the future. Here's the White House video of the announcement:

president obama to nominate gary locke as ambassador to china

ABC News is reporting that President Obama intends to nominate Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as the next United States Ambassador to China: President Obama Will Nominate Commerce Secretary Locke as US Ambassador to China.

Secretary Locke is already a pioneer in U.S. politics as the first Chinese American to be Secretary of Commerce and the first Chinese American state governor (of Washington). If confirmed, he would be the first Chinese American Ambassador to the People's Republic of China: