As the former governor of Washington State, home of major exporters Boeing and Microsoft, and as Secretary of Commerce, Locke knows better than anyone else the importance of maintaining relationships. Locke gives the impression of speaking thoughtfully on sensitive issues, leaving room for negotiation. In addition, his life in the Chinese-American community has more or less taught him how Chinese communicate with and react to outsiders.

The main challenge for Secretary Locke as US Ambassador to China will be the complexity of US-China relations. Locke's experience concentrates on trade issues, but US-China diplomacy covers a wide range of topics that require a comprehensive understanding of Chinese society. For example, the US and China resumed military-to-military communication not long ago, but divergences on Taiwan, military transparency, regional territorial disputes and nuclear proliferation remain problems. Moreover, as changes in Middle East continue, the bilateral debate on Internet censorship, human rights and democracy will certainly resurface. Secretary Locke will have to adapt quickly to assume these new diplomatic responsibilities.

It is also worth noting that if confirmed, Secretary Locke will appoint fellow Chinese-American Robert Wang as his Deputy Mission Chief at the US Embassy in Beijing. Wang speaks fluent Mandarin and was the Deputy Director of the American Institute in Taiwan from 2006 to 2009. His education in Asian foreign policy and diplomatic assignments in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore will supplement Secretary Locke's economic expertise.

Having two Chinese-Americans in town, however, does not mean the US will significantly change its diplomatic tone. Nevertheless, we hope that the new ambassador will continue efforts to smooth Sino-US relations, and help promote mutual understanding.

The author is a non-resident Vasey Fellow at the Pacific Forum for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

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