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SALT LAKE CITY -- Over the past 18 months of Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr.'s service in China, he has received praise for his ability to connect with the Chinese government and people.
Huntsman knows how to deal with China, including its people, and he has done a pretty good job.
–Prof. Jin Canrong
Two main issues that Huntsman faced as the Ambassador to China were human rights and business relationships between U.S. and Chinese companies and cities. As China's economy continues to evolve, Huntsman has worked to improve relationships between U.S. businesses and Chinese businesses and cities.
"The U.S.-China relationship is far more than a government-to-government relationship," Ambassador Huntsman said. "U.S. companies operating abroad are a key asset in our public diplomacy. They are the embodiment of America's ingenuity, America's dynamism, and America's values, and our values are reflected whenever U.S. businesses work to benefit the communities in which they operate."
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Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and family have been packing for a move to the Washington, D.C., area, where he'll soon begin weighing a run for president.As ambassador, Huntsman sought to tackle a common problem in China; intellectual property theft. Huntsman publicly encouraged greater cooperation between both countries during a meeting on the issue in Beijing which attracted 150 participants from China, The U.S. and other countries.
"We need to develop a game plan that creates strong, productive relationships between our officials and our businesses and helps connect our innovators to our consumers," Ambassador Huntsman said. "We get this right, we all come out winners. We get this wrong, we all miss an incredible opportunity to create new jobs, sustain economic development and share in the development of new technologies."
The business relationships that Huntsman created with China are important as our economies head towards a collision course, as recently stated in a report by the IMF.
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Jon Huntsman Jr. will step down as the U.S. ambassador to China on April 30, presumably to explore a presidential bid. Primary elections are a year away and Huntsman has a lot of work to do to be competitive.Professor Jin Canrong, associate dean of Renmin University's school of international relations located in Beijing, spoke with the South China Morning post, and was highly complimentary of Huntsman.
"Huntsman knows how to deal with China, including its people, and he has done a pretty good job," Jin said.
The article continued to compliment Huntsman on his ability to connect with China, much better than his predecessor.
Huntsman has made an effort to fight for improved human rights in China. When artist Liu Xiaobo's prison sentence was upheld, Huntsman let the Chinese government know of his displeasure.
"We have raised our concerns about Mr. Liu's detention repeatedly and at high levels, both in Beijing and in Washington, since he was taken into custody over a year ago," Ambassador Huntsman said. "Mr. Liu has peacefully worked for the establishment of political openness and accountability in China. Persecution of individuals for the peaceful expression of political views is inconsistent with internationally-recognized norms of human rights."
Although the Chinese-U.S. relationship has a ways to go before it could be considered to be on solid footing, Huntsman's efforts have been a step in the right direction.
Email: mhopkins@ksl.com
