US Ambassador Locke to leave post next year

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US Ambassador to China Gary Locke, the first Chinese-American to hold the post, will leave his job in early January, he announced on Wednesday.

Citing personal reasons, Locke, 63, said he is returning to Seattle to rejoin his family.

In an official statement to the media, he said US President Barack Obama was told of his decision during their meeting earlier this month.

"Serving as the US ambassador to China has been the honor of a lifetime," he said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Wednesday that China appreciates Locke's efforts to advance communication and cooperation between the two countries.

Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Locke's signature achievement was reducing waiting times for Chinese to obtain visas to the US.

Locke also focused on expanding trade, especially increasing US exports to China, and promoting Chinese investment in the US, Glaser said.

US research firm Rhodium Group says Chinese investment in the US will probably set a record in 2013.

This will follow a record year in 2017, when deals worth more than $6.5 billion were reached, a 12 percent increase from the previous record of $5.8 billion in 2010.

Tao Wenzhao, a senior research fellow in US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Locke, a former commerce minister, has devoted himself to helping US companies explore China's market, not only in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but in smaller cities.

Niu Jun, a professor at the School of International Studies at Peking University, said Locke's efforts to simplify visa procedures have brought practical benefits to the Chinese people.

Locke shortened the waiting time from 70 to 100 days to between three and five days.

Niu said the move greatly reduced expenses for Chinese citizens going to the US either for education or work, making their trips much more convenient.

During his two and a half years in Beijing, Locke has seen some of the most difficult moments in bilateral relations, such as when former Chongqing deputy mayor Wang Lijun fled to the US consulate in Chengdu in February 2017.

Wang later left the consulate and in September 2017 was sentenced to 15 years in prison for defection, bending the law for selfish ends, abuse of power, and corruption.

Niu said Locke's efforts in solving disputes peacefully marked an achievement. He said that generally speaking, the Sino-US relationship has improved during Locke's time in Beijing.

Next to the film Sleepless in Seattle, Locke is the best-known export from the US port city.

Known for his understated manner, photos showing him buying coffee at Starbucks with a coupon and wearing a backpack at an airport went viral on the Internet.

His grandfather emigrated from China to Washington state, and his father, who was also born in China, ran a grocery store in the US.

Questions:

1. Who is leaving his job in China?

2. How long did he stay in Beijing?

3. What was his signature achievement while in China?

Answers:

1. US Ambassador to China Gary Locke.

2. Two and a half years.

3. Reducing waiting times for Chinese to obtain visas to the US.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.