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Secretary Locke Leaving Commerce Dept.?

By Peter Zura

Press reports indicate that Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is expected to become the next US ambassador to China, taking over for Jon Huntsman.  In a March 9 press release, President Obama stated

In replacing Ambassador Huntsman, I can think of nobody who is more qualified than Gary Locke.  More than 100 years ago, Gary?s grandfather left China on a steamship bound for America, where he worked as a domestic servant in Washington State.  A century later, his grandson will return to China as America?s top diplomat.

[A]s Commerce Secretary, Gary oversaw a Census process that ended on time and under budget, returning $2 billion to American taxpayers.  He?s earned the trust of business leaders across America by listening to their concerns, making it easier for them to export their goods abroad, and dramatically reducing the time it takes to get a patent.  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.

Locke enjoys overwhelming support from various groups, and is expected to breeze through the confirmation process.

For more, see

Just-Style.com, "US: Apparel industry backs Locke as top China diplomat" (link)


AGIPNews: "Locke Nomination for China Ambassadorship Encouraging for Copyright Holders" (link)

China Hearsay: "Gary Locke to be Next US Ambassador to China. And There Was Much Rejoicing" (link)

Full post as published by Two-Seventy-One Patent Blog on March 17, 2011 (boomark / email).