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By Kent Larsen
Huntsman Named Ambassador and US Deputy Trade Representative
WASHINGTON, DC -- US President George W. Bush has named Jon Huntsman
Jr. a US Deputy Trade Representative, an ambassadorial rank, with
responsibility for trade with Asia. The appointment ends months of
speculation about Huntsman, a strong Bush supporter and significant
Republican donor, including reports that he would be named Ambassador
to China.
The appointment, if confirmed by the US Senate, puts Huntsman in the
office of the US Trade Representative under Robert B. Zoellick. The
position may be a good fit for Huntsman, because of his fluency in
Mandarin, acquired while serving an LDS mission in Taiwan, his
diplomatic experience, from a previous stint as Ambassador to
Singapore, and commercial background, as vice-chairman of the
Huntsman Corp., the nation's largest privately-owned chemical company.
This past January a report in the Washington Post suggested that
Huntsman might be named Ambassador to China, but after the report was
published, officials in Beijing objected, saying that such an
appointment, along with the possible naming of fellow LDS Church
member Gerrit W. Gong as the National Security Council's staff China
expert, was a veiled attempt to promote religious freedom in China
and push the country to accept LDS missionaries. Then, a more recent
report suggested that Huntsman would be named Ambassador to Indonesia.
The Huntsman family have been substantial contributors to the
Republican party, especially over the past decade when their
donations have generally been in excess of $100,000 each election
cycle. However, Todd Taylor, executive director of the Utah
Democratic Party, says that Huntsman's credentials are strong. He
admits that giving ambassadorships to campaign contributors still
occurs, but says "Huntsman has credentials that make him a legitimate
candidate."
This past election, the Huntsman family also reduced their support
for the Republicans, giving $100,000 to the Democrats because Jon
Huntsman Sr. felt the Republicans weren't doing enough to fund cancer
research.
In a statement released to the press, Huntsman Jr. expressed
gratitude for the appointment. "I am deeply honored and humbled by
the president's gesture and look forward - Senate willing - to
working toward fulfilling his vision for American in the area of
international trade."
Sources:
Jon Huntsman Jr. Pegged for Trade Post
Salt Lake Tribune 28Mar01 T2
By Phil Sahm: Salt Lake Tribune
Huntsman Jr. nominated for U.S. trade post
Deseret News 27Mar01 T2
By Lee Davidson: Deseret News Washington correspondent
Former envoy would oversee trade with Asia
Jon Huntsman Jr. may be Named Ambassador to Indonesia Instead
Beijing Sees Pro-Mormon Push Behind Bush Appointments of Huntsman, Gong
Jon Huntsman Jr., Ambassador to China?
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