The Washington State – China relationship just saw some new growth. Former Washington State Governor Gary Locke was sworn in on Monday as the next U.S. Ambassador to China. In doing so Locke becomes the first Chinese American to serve in this post.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton swore in Locke following the Senate’s confirmation last week. Locke was nominated by President Obama in March after ambassador John Huntsman stepped down. Prior to his nomination, Locke was appointed by Obama as Secretary of Commerce for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and served as Governor of Washington State from 1997-2005 where he was the nation’s first Chinese-American state chief executive. Locke also worked as a partner at Seattle based law firm Davis Wright Tremaine.
Washington state and China share many ties. China is Washington’s largest two-way trading partner, a title it gained under Locke’s tenure as Governor.
Tags: China, Gary Locke, US Ambassador to China, Washington State
