Former US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has been sworn in as the new US ambassador to China. He's the first Chinese-American to assume the office, which has become a focal point for US and international diplomacy.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (right) swears in Gary Locke as the first Chinese-American to be appointed US Ambassador to China on Monday, August 1, 2011, during a ceremony at the State Department in Washington.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton administered Locke's oath of office. Clinton praised the ex-governor of Washington State and former Commerce Secretary, for his hard work on behalf of the American people. She said Locke is the right person to manage the extraordinarily important relationship the US has with China.

Meanwhile, Gary Locke hopes to deepen US-China cooperations in various areas. He was unanimously confirmed to the position by the Senate last month. As the top US envoy in Beijing, Locke replaces Jon Huntsman, who resigned to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Gary Locke was born in the US but his grandfather was originally from Guangdong province in south China.