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By Wang Zhaokun US Ambassador to China Jon M. Huntsman Jr. fueled speculation in a recent interview with Newsweek magazine that he may contest the Republican presidential nomination next year, while Chinese analysts believe that it is still too early to say if Huntsman will run for the presidency in 2012. "You know, I'm really focused on what we're doing in our current position," Huntsman told the US-based Newsweek magazine. "But we won't do this forever, and I think we may have one final run left in our bones." However, when asked whether he has planned to rule out a run against his boss in 2012, Huntsman declined to comment, according to Newsweek on Saturday. The US embassy in Beijing Monday did not respond to inquiries due to the New Year's holiday. The 50-year-old politician was appointed in 2009 by US President Barack Obama as his top envoy to Beijing, a move that was considered by some to be aimed at removing a potential rival for Obama in the 2012 general election. Huntsman, who favors gay rights and has backed immigration reform, is thought to be a moderate pro-business Republican. He was once an assistant in the Reagan White House and served as ambassador to Singapore under president George H.W. Bush. In the second Bush administration, he was a deputy trade representative. Sources close to the US ambassador told Newsweek that Huntsman had met with several former advisers in December to discuss a potential campaign. Shi Yinhong, a professor with the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that it is still too early to say whether Huntsman will challenge Obama in 2012, as there are too many factors that might influence his decision. "The first test Huntsman has to face is a possible heated competition within the Republican Party," Shi said. "But even if Huntsman decides to quit the ambassadorial job and run for the presidency, I don't think that will bring much change to China-US relations." "There has been long speculation about Huntsman's presidential bid, and such speculation has intensified with the GOP victory in last year's midterm elections, because the Republicans now see an opportunity to take the White House back in 2012," said Ni Feng, director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "But I think Huntsman will have better chances if he looks to 2016 rather than 2012." "Huntsman's experience in China will likely help him in any future presidential bid as he might be able to deal with relations with China in a more comprehensive and balanced way," Ni added, noting that former US president George H.W. Bush once served as the chief of the US Liaison Office in China in the 1970s. Agencies contributed to this story |
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