The historical measure of a presidential administration hinges on both large and small events. Barack Obama’s presidency ultimately will be evaluated on two things. The first will be his ability or inability to promote positive movement on highly visible issues like health care, the economy, national defense and foreign policy. The other will be the manner in which the administration manages less visible but still important day-to-day operations vital to efficient and effective governance. If that’s the case, the president’s recent nomination of Gary Locke as U.S. ambassador to China is an inspired choice.
If the Senate confirms his appointment, Locke would be the first Chinese-American to serve as the nation’s top diplomat in China. It’s not ethnicity, though, that qualifies Locke for the job. His resume and a long and impressive record in public service does.
Locke, whose grandfather and father were born in China, was the United States’ first Chinese-American governor and won bipartisan praise for his work in that post. As governor, he initiated programs that established international partnerships for Washington state businesses that helped the state add nearly 300,000 jobs during his two-term administration. Trade experts say his work built the foundation that helped double his state’s exports to China to more than $5 billion a year. He likely will build on that success as ambassador.
The connections Locke established and nurtured as governor and later as a partner specializing in China in an international law firm remain in place. He’s familiar with China’s trade policies and his network of personal and professional friendships and connections give him an entree into the Chinese economic and diplomatic communities that few can match. He’s got the management skills to handle a sensitive post as well.
As commerce secretary, Locke was in charge of the 2010 census, a project, Obama said, “that came in on time and under budget, returning $2 billion to American taxpayers.” And the president added, when he’s in Beijing, “I know that American companies will be able to count on him to represent their interests in front of China’s top leaders.”
China is at once the United States’ fiercest economic competitor and an ally in many areas. China has proved a useful and willing partner in attempting to reduce the North Korean nuclear threat and likely will work hand-in-hand with the United States to help Japan recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in both the short and long term. Managing that complex relationship calls for a rare combination of tact, knowledge and experience. Locke has it.
The Senate should quickly confirm Obama’s nominee as new ambassador to China. The sooner Locke can begin the hard work of building stronger and beneficial ties with that nation, the better.