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AP source: Obama to name Utah gov envoy to China

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-16 15:35

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 US trade representative and US trade ambassador under President George W. Bush.

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Utah's only Democratic member of Congress, US 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 CEO of his family chemical company.

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

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

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

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