Jon Huntsman Jr’s Resume includes Ambassador to China and Governor of Utah. Excellent Choice For Deputy Secretary of State!
I knew Jon Huntsman professionally. He was the ambassador to Singapore [1992-1993] when I was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia under POTUS Bush Sr. He was also the youngest appointed American ambassador over the past 100 years. He was extremely competent as an official representative of the USG.
More importantly, Huntsman spoke fluent Mandarin Chinese, which he learned when he was sent to Taiwan as a Mormon Missionary in 1987-88. He comes from a distinguished line of Mormons who have been extremely successful in business.
Jon eventually became the CEO of his family’s multi-billion dollar Huntsman Corporation [chemicals]; as well as, the Chairman of the famous Huntsman Cancer Foundation [2009].
Here is the abbreviated list of Huntsman’s accomplishments as he rose through the Republican Party [Wikipedia]:
- Reagan Admn: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
- Bush Jr Admn: as Deputy US Trade Representative. John launched global trade negotiations in Doha [2001–2003]. He guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization.
- Governor of Utah [2004]; re-elected in 2008.
- Chairman of Western Governors Association and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association.
- Obama Admn: Ambassador to China [2009].
- Republican Presidential Candidate in 2012.
- Chairman of Washington –based foreign policy think-tank, The Atlantic Council.
This is one of those resumes that speaks for itself. In person, John is quite soft-spoken, affable and unpretentious. In his teens, he played the keyboard in a RocknRoll band [Wizard]. Later on in his life, he became a devotee of the motorcycle.
Jon Huntsman is quite impressive. I supported him to become the Republican candidate for the Presidency in 2012. We know that the nomination went to Mitt Romney.
I hope that if he is offered this job as the number two at the State Department, he will eventually attain the well-deserved position of Secretary of State. I hope that he runs again for the presidency. He will be young enough [60’s].
There is no doubt in my mind that Jon Huntsman will be a very important addition to the Trump Presidency as well as an incredibly effective partner for Sec. State Rex Tillerson. Both men are very close to ex-Sec. State James Baker III. Baker is an elegant, quiet, Texan who brooks no nonsense.
The famous Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy wrote:
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
Thank you, POTUS Trump!