Obama Taps Utah Gov as China Envoy

He's 'no panda-hugger,' but he does speak Chinese

(NEWSER) - After President Obama nominated Utah’s Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr as his ambassador to China, New Yorker correspondent Evan Osnos takes the pulse of the Chinese press. He found three matters of note:

• The press approved Obama’s personal announcement of Huntsman’s new post: It shows Obama takes the job “seriously,” even if Huntsman’s not a close personal friend, as his predecessor was to President Bush.

Says it's trying to 'skirt the rules' when it comes to rare-earth minerals

(NEWSER) - The US, Japan, and the European Union filed a joint complaint against China with the World Trade Organization today over Beijing's limits on rare-earth mineral exports, which they say violate China's international agreements. In a speech in the Rose Garden, President Obama accused China of "skirting the rules," and hurting US businesses and workers, the AP reports. "If China would simply let the market work on its own, we'd have no objection," he said. "Their policies currently are preventing that from happening." More»

Xi Jinping, China's next president, to meet with Obama

(NEWSER) - The man slated to be China's next president began his US tour today, meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office before having lunch with Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Biden will serve as Xi Jinping's host in Washington, the New York Times reports. Other stops on the agenda: a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, and a high-level trip to the Pentagon, where he'll get an honor guard salute and meet with Leon Panetta and the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey. More»

President announces increased military presence in Australia

(NEWSER) - The US and Australia announced a new security agreement today, seen by many as a response to China’s growing power, but President Obama insisted that “the notion that we fear China is mistaken.” Under the agreement, the US military presence will be expanded, with about 250 Marines heading to Australia next year. Ultimately 2,500 US military personnel will be based there, and the US will have increased equipment and access to Australian bases. But officials are calling it a “sustained” military presence, not a permanent one, the AP notes. More»

Gary Locke is first Chinese American to fill post

(AP) - Gary Locke was "humbled and honored" to today become the first Chinese American to serve as America's ambassador to China, showing a clear eye on cooperation between the two global powers in facing common challenges. "If our people, our business people, our scientists, our students can really join together," Locke said at a news conference, "we can solve not just the challenges and problems facing each of our countries, we can actually solve many of the problems facing the entire world." More»