https://www.scmp.com/rss/208574/feed Former US ambassador to China, Gary Locke is a Chinese-American who was born in Seattle. He graduated from Yale and holds a law degree from BostonUniversity. Locke was elected as the Governor of Washington twice, the nation’s first Chinese-American governor in history. Locke then served as Secretary of Commerce under the Obama administration in 2009 before assuming his role as ambassador to China on August 1, 2011. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Paul Cheung was recently named president of the Committee of 100, a non-profit organisation of influential Chinese-Americans that promotes bilateral exchanges between China and the United States on all fronts. In this Open Questions interview, Cheung talks about the role of C100 in addressing anti-Asian hate in the US and bridging the gap between the two biggest economic powers in their ever-growing rivalry. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. What’s your strategy as... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338245/how-new-c100-chief-plans-help-chinese-americans-strike-middle-ground-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3338245/how-new-c100-chief-plans-help-chinese-americans-strike-middle-ground-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han The Chinese embassy in Washington lodged an official protest with the United States on Thursday amid a growing backlash about a decision to “aggressively” revoke Chinese student visas that has prompted accusations of xenophobia. The formal protest – officially known as a “démarche” – came a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that his department would work with the Department of Homeland Security to cancel the visas of Chinese students. These include students working in “critical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312391/xenophobic-us-ban-chinese-student-visas-provokes-backlash-americans-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312391/xenophobic-us-ban-chinese-student-visas-provokes-backlash-americans-and-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 04:00:52 +0000 A group of prominent Chinese-Americans known as the Committee of 100 has condemned a bill that proposes to ban Chinese nationals from obtaining all main classes of student visas to the US as “not just exclusionary but self-defeating”. The non-profit, non-partisan organisation’s chairman Gary Locke, who was Washington’s ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014, said in a statement on Tuesday that the US “has always thrived by welcoming the brightest minds from around the world”. “Shutting the door... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302958/distinguished-chinese-americans-condemn-visa-veto-aimed-students-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302958/distinguished-chinese-americans-condemn-visa-veto-aimed-students-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2025 05:56:43 +0000 Lotus Zhang, an English-Chinese hospital interpreter who lives in New Jersey and works in Manhattan, said never in her life has she been attacked physically. “But you’re seen as different,” she said, dressed in a pink and light blue blouse and a white fleece. “Especially when you’re walking out of the hospital, it can be hostile.” Recently, she added, waning alarm over Covid-19 had reduced tension somewhat, although not entirely. Nearly three quarters of Chinese-Americans report experiencing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3218495/most-chinese-americans-say-racial-discrimination-and-hate-crime-fears-plague-their-life-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3218495/most-chinese-americans-say-racial-discrimination-and-hate-crime-fears-plague-their-life-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2023 21:00:11 +0000 A major Chinese government news service used a racist slur to describe the departing American ambassador in a mean-spirited editorial on Friday that drew widespread public condemnation in China. The article — which called Gary Locke a “rotten banana,” a guide dog for the blind, and a plague — reflected Chinese nationalists’ acute loathing toward the first Chinese-American to have been Washington’s top envoy to Beijing. Locke’s ethnic background particularly interested the Chinese government... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1437846/official-chinese-media-outlet-uses-racial-slur-banana-insult-departing-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1437846/official-chinese-media-outlet-uses-racial-slur-banana-insult-departing-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:30:00 +0000 A Chinese state-run news agency's scathing farewell to US Ambassador Gary Locke on Friday stood in stark contrast to well-wishing farewells from many Chinese citizens, who applauded his efforts to raise awareness on air pollution. Locke, 64, is set to leave Beijing on Saturday after two and a half years as the first American ambassador of Chinese descent to the country. His stint was defined by his frugality, his emphasis on the rule of law in China and his role in granting US asylum to rights... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1437062/scorn-and-gratitude-china-departing-us-ambassador-gary-locke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1437062/scorn-and-gratitude-china-departing-us-ambassador-gary-locke?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Feb 2014 06:00:45 +0000 The outgoing US ambassador to China called on Beijing and Tokyo to seek reconciliation over their worsening territorial disputes and end bitter exchanges about their wartime past. Gary Locke's comments came during his final press conference as the US top envoy to China yesterday, ending a 2-1/2-year tenure. Locke said Washington was very concerned about the tensions between China and Japan over territorial rows in the East China Sea. Japan has drawn comparisons between the recent disputes and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1436647/reconcile-tokyo-departing-us-envoy-gary-locke-urges-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1436647/reconcile-tokyo-departing-us-envoy-gary-locke-urges-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2014 20:57:07 +0000 Outgoing US ambassador Gary Locke urged his successor, Max Baucus, to visit every corner of China, especially small villages in remote areas, to really understand what is happening in the country. "My sincere advice to him is to visit various places in China - as many as he can - and understand local customs and practices," Locke told Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan in what could be his last interview as envoy. "Beijing is not China and big cities can't be representative of China." Locke has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1424853/see-chinas-countryside-outgoing-us-envoy-gary-locke-tells-max-baucus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1424853/see-chinas-countryside-outgoing-us-envoy-gary-locke-tells-max-baucus?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2014 19:45:39 +0000 The numbers are never far from Gary Locke's mind. Average wait for a visa. Trade figures. Tallies of Chinese investment in the United States. These have been Locke's obsessions during his tenure as the US ambassador to China. It has been a tumultuous time in one of America's most complex and important relationships, and Locke has lived moments of enormous drama - including high-stakes negotiations over a blind dissident hiding out in the US embassy and the attempted defection of a Communist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1413637/gary-locke-measures-achievements-ambassador-china-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1413637/gary-locke-measures-achievements-ambassador-china-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jan 2014 21:36:34 +0000 Mona Lee Locke, the wife of outgoing US Ambassador to China Gary Locke, has denied rumours that her husband was involved in an extramarital affair, in an interview with Chinese state media. Lee Locke was asked about the rumour after days of intense speculation over the reason for her husband's decision to leave the high-profile diplomatic post after little more than two years. When I met with President Obama, I informed him of my decision GARY LOCKE Reports in the mainland and Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1363267/wife-us-ambassador-china-gary-locke-denies-he-had-affair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1363267/wife-us-ambassador-china-gary-locke-denies-he-had-affair?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2013 15:30:45 +0000 Gary Locke, the US ambassador to China, announced on Wednesday that he will step down early next year, giving rise to a flurry of speculation over who will be the next candidate for the job. The first Chinese American to take the job, the 63-year-old Locke dealt with several precarious political situations during his two years of service, including a diplomatic controversy over blind activist Chen Guangcheng. Rumours arose that Locke was returning to the US after having an extra-marrital affair... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1362929/speculation-over-next-us-ambassador-china-includes-two-possible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1362929/speculation-over-next-us-ambassador-china-includes-two-possible?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2013 10:00:00 +0000 The Global Times, China’s leading nationalist newspaper, has decided to part with US Ambassador Gary Locke on good terms after he announced his resignation from the job he held over two tumultuous years. “From the perspective of both the US and China, Locke’s performance shouldn’t be given a low mark,” a commentary in the daily read on Thursday. The commentary, which appeared in both the English and Chinese language versions of the paper, was penned by Shan Renping, a pseudonym generally thought... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1361807/gary-locke-receives-kind-parting-words-old-foe-global-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1361807/gary-locke-receives-kind-parting-words-old-foe-global-times?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:43:29 +0000 Gary Locke, the first Chinese-American to serve as US ambassador to Beijing, has had an eventful 28-month tenure, marked by a diplomatic tussle over blind activist Chen Guangcheng and a defection drama that triggered the downfall of Bo Xilai . American ambassadors usually serve about three years in a foreign post. Locke, a third-generation Chinese-American who did not speak English until he was five, took over from Jon Huntsman in August 2011. Huntsman resigned to explore a presidential bid. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1361534/gary-locke-humble-envoy-who-was-tested-limit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1361534/gary-locke-humble-envoy-who-was-tested-limit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 20:15:45 +0000 President Barack Obama sent Chinese-American Gary Locke to China in 2011 as point man for Washington's most important relationship - a more important job than running the US Commerce Department with its US$10 billion-plus budget and 142,000 staff. To Washington watchers, being posted abroad could be seen as a career setback, even if his previous job was not the most glamorous in Obama's top team. To Beijing, the appointment of a cabinet-level official to the US envoy's post was proof of China's... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1361552/gary-locke-provided-level-head-testing-times-sino-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1361552/gary-locke-provided-level-head-testing-times-sino-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 20:15:30 +0000 Gary Locke delivered his final speech as US ambassador to China at the American Center in Beijing on Thursday. Locke has served as ambassador since 2011, and is the first Chinese American to serve in the role. He is set to leave the country on Saturday. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1361043/photos-gary-lockes-two-years-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1361043/photos-gary-lockes-two-years-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 05:15:15 +0000 Gary Locke, the American ambassador to China, will be stepping down early next year, the American embassy said in a statement on Wednesday.  The former secretary of commerce and governor of the state of Washington said he had informed US President Barack Obama earlier this month of his wish to leave his post to join his family in Seattle, Washington. The 63-year-old is the first American ambassador of Chinese descent to serve in the post. Locke had been confirmed unanimously by the US senate to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1360993/gary-locke-step-down-us-ambassador-china-early-2014?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1360993/gary-locke-step-down-us-ambassador-china-early-2014?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 03:15:30 +0000 Ambassador Locke’s Statement on Serving as U.S. Ambassador to China Serving as the U.S. Ambassador to China has been the honor of a lifetime.  I am profoundly grateful to President Obama for providing me the opportunity to serve as his representative in Beijing  these past two and a half years – and to be the first Chinese-American to hold this position.  Helping manage one of the most vitally important bilateral relationships for the United States, with so many critical American interests at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1360991/full-text-gary-lockes-statement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1360991/full-text-gary-lockes-statement?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 02:58:10 +0000 US ambassador to China Gary Locke chatted with Buddhist monks, visited famous sites and mixed with locals on a rare trip to Tibet, photos released on Tuesday showed. The State Department announced that Locke was travelling in the Himalayan region from Tuesday to Friday last week. It was the first time since September 2010 that Chinese authorities had granted a US ambassador access to tightly-controlled Tibet. During the trip, Locke urged Chinese authorities to open the area up to tourists and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1274103/us-releases-photos-ambassador-gary-lockes-tibet-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1274103/us-releases-photos-ambassador-gary-lockes-tibet-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:35:30 +0000 American Ambassador Gary Locke has travelled to Tibet on a rare diplomatic visit to the restive autonomous region to "increase his familiarity with local conditions", the US embassy in Beijing confirmed yesterday. Locke was accompanied by family members and embassy staff on three-day trip, organised by the local government, in and around Lhasa . He will return to Beijing today. US embassy spokesman Justin Higgins said it was the first time authorities had approved an embassy request to visit... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1270570/us-ambassador-locke-3-day-trip-tibet-embassy-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1270570/us-ambassador-locke-3-day-trip-tibet-embassy-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 China’s future success will depend on the fair application of its laws, says United States ambassador to China Gary Locke. “China has a bright future, but this success depends on the implementation of rule of law,” Locke stressed in Beijing on Monday, Huanqiu.com reported. Locke made the remarks while opening the Philip Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition at the Renmin University of China. The student debating competition was a simulation of a dispute between countries before the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1159169/chinas-future-success-depends-rule-law-says-locke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1159169/chinas-future-success-depends-rule-law-says-locke?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:08:09 +0000 I have far too much wine, and I would never be able to consume it in a lifetime Former chief executive contender Henry Tang on selling off some of the contents of his controversial cellar   Before you go to sleep, look into your children's eyes and part of your humanity will return Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib's message to the country's regime   It is an example that China can learn from and in doing so, optimise China's own progress and development US ambassador to China Gary Locke... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1143893/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1143893/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The US ambassador to China expressed caution on Tuesday over hopes for reform under Beijing’s new leadership and said the mainland should turn to Hong Kong for inspiration. Gary Locke told an economic conference in Hong Kong that the US-China relationship remains “fundamentally very, very strong” but said the world’s second-largest economy could only benefit from further liberalisation. “Hong Kong is an excellent example of what can be done and how important it is to lead in the economic realm... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1143743/us-envoy-gary-locke-cautious-over-hopes-china-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1143743/us-envoy-gary-locke-cautious-over-hopes-china-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:16:10 +0000 A high-powered team from Port Miami will meet more than 70 mainland manufacturers, investors and government bodies in Beijing today in a bid by eastern American and Gulf coast ports to attract Asian maritime interests. The meeting, supported by the US ambassador to China Gary Locke and the US Chamber of Commerce, comes as eastern US ports are tussling for cargo when the expanded Panama Canal opens in 2015. The talks will focus on Port Miami's plans to build a World Trade Centre Tower for Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1097676/port-miami-delegation-beijing-woo-asian-cargo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1097676/port-miami-delegation-beijing-woo-asian-cargo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 We implore the Chinese to really meet with the representatives of the Tibetan people U.S. ambassador Gary Locke's advice to the Beijing leadership   It'd be rather difficult for us to work together in the future Hardy Kam, son of the late Kinsen Kam Kwan-sing, rules out a family reconciliation after a court battle over the famous Yung Kee restaurant   Have they no shame? I mean, what? Romney will say anything, absolutely anything to win U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden on a Republican ad claiming... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1073494/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1073494/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The US ambassador to China has urged Beijing to re-examine policies towards Tibetans, and acknowledged he had quietly visited monasteries during a spate of self-immolation protests. Ambassador Gary Locke, speaking from Beijing to an online forum in the United States, said he stopped at monasteries last month in the flashpoint Aba prefecture to "get an appreciation of Tibetan culture and the way of life". Aba, an ethnically Tibetan area of Sichuan province, has been a hotbed of protests against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1073484/us-envoy-gary-locke-urges-beijing-rethink-tibet-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1073484/us-envoy-gary-locke-urges-beijing-rethink-tibet-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The US ambassador to China urged Beijing to re-examine policies toward Tibetans as he acknowledged that he had quietly visited monasteries during a spate of self-immolation protests. Ambassador Gary Locke, speaking from Beijing to an online forum in the United States, said he visited monasteries last month in the flashpoint Aba prefecture to “get an appreciation of Tibetan culture and the way of life”. Aba, an ethnically Tibetan area of Sichuan province, has been a hotbed of protests against... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1073163/us-envoy-gary-locke-urges-china-review-tibet-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1073163/us-envoy-gary-locke-urges-china-review-tibet-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Oct 2012 04:35:41 +0000 America's ambassador to China, Gary Locke, has visited a restive region in Sichuan where ethnic Tibetans have set fire to themselves to protest against rule by Beijing, the US State Department has confirmed. Locke visited Aba county last month while on a tour of Chongqing and Sichuan aimed at boosting Sino-US trade and met some residents, including ethnic Tibetans, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in Washington. Aba, home to the Kirti Monastery, has seen many self-immolations by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1063466/us-envoy-allowed-beijing-visit-restive-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1063466/us-envoy-allowed-beijing-visit-restive-region?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Anti-Japan protests in China were encouraged by leaders in Beijing, dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei said on Thursday, after he videoed demonstrators damaging the US ambassador’s car. Ai was visiting a friend’s apartment near the US embassy in Beijing – which is close to Japan’s mission – when he heard the protest and began recording, he said. The internationally acclaimed artist said he was “surprised” to see a group of 50 protesters target US Ambassador Gary Locke’s vehicle, surrounding it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1041389/ai-weiwei-calls-anti-japan-protests-prepared-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1041389/ai-weiwei-calls-anti-japan-protests-prepared-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Sep 2012 05:21:04 +0000 Artist Ai Weiwei yesterday posted on YouTube video of US Ambassador to China Gary Locke's car being swarmed by anti-Japanese protesters. Beijing has said it will investigate the incident. On Twitter, manager of Tencent's microblogging platform Jia Jia wonders if the protesters' arrival wasn't a little too well-timed: Who can tell me, what power exists with the ability to not only pinpoint and track the location of the Japanese ambassador's ride, but also the US ambassador's car? And then... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1041268/second-rush-diplomatic-vehicle-month-raises-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1041268/second-rush-diplomatic-vehicle-month-raises-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:03:34 +0000 China said it was investigating an incident in which about 50 protesters surrounded the car of US Ambassador Gary Locke, tried to block him from entering the embassy compound and ripped the car’s flag. Chinese police cleared roadblocks and some Japanese businesses reopened after days of large, sometimes violent protests in many cities over Japan’s recent purchase of the Diaoyu Islands also claimed by Beijing. In Beijing, the bitterness spilled over from the Japanese embassy to the nearby US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1041252/beijing-investigates-protest-around-us-ambassadors-car?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1041252/beijing-investigates-protest-around-us-ambassadors-car?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:34:14 +0000 A car carrying the US ambassador to China was mildly damaged after becoming the target of boisterous anti-Japan demonstrators who were expressing outrage over a territorial dispute and marking the 81st anniversary of Japan’s invasion of China. The State Department said in a statement on Wednesday that Ambassador Gary Locke was unhurt in Tuesday’s incident, and that diplomats have expressed concerns to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The statement said about 50 protesters surrounded Locke’s car as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1040430/beijing-protesters-damage-us-ambassadors-car?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1040430/beijing-protesters-damage-us-ambassadors-car?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:35:18 +0000 US envoy to Beijing Gary Locke on Saturday  tried to ease China's fears that Washington wants to hem it in by emphasising  American military presence in Asia was not targeted at a single country. "We strongly believe -- and I believe most in the region would agree --  that our security presence here is beneficial to the countries of the region  and necessary for the continued vitality of the Asia-Pacific," Locke said. "Our security presence is not aimed at any one country," he said in a speech... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1027646/us-military-asia-beneficial-ambassador-locke-tells-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1027646/us-military-asia-beneficial-ambassador-locke-tells-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Sep 2012 08:15:45 +0000 Gary Locke Washington's man in Beijing scored a PR victory over the Beijing Daily by releasing details of his monthly salary and personal assets on the microblogs of the US embassy and its consulate in Shanghai. The disclosure was made in response to a demand by the Communist Party mouthpiece, which was attempting to show that US officials were just as reluctant as mainland officials to declare their assets. Christopher McConville The 24-year-old Liverpudlian was fined HK$10,000 in Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/article/1001501/good-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1001501/good-week?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 American diplomatic missions on the mainland have disclosed details of ambassador Gary Locke's income and personal assets in response to a call by a Communist Party mouthpiece in Beijing. The Beijing Daily's demand, in a microblog posting on Monday that has since been removed, appears to have been an attempt to silence growing calls to make public mainland officials' assets - by showing US officials were just as reluctant. 'Gary Locke, please disclose [your] assets,' the paper said. But the... https://www.scmp.com/article/1001247/locke-calls-dailys-bluff-declaring-his-assets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1001247/locke-calls-dailys-bluff-declaring-his-assets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 America's ambassador to China, Gary Locke, says the explosive Bo Xilai affair will not affect Sino-US relations because Washington will not 'get drawn' into one of the biggest political scandals to shake up the Communist Party leadership. Appearing on CBS' Dan Rather Reports programme on Wednesday night, Locke spoke for the first time about the scandal amid speculation over the role Washington and Locke played in the incident that sparked it. The Bo saga has been linked to the United States from... https://www.scmp.com/article/999369/scandal-will-not-affect-sino-us-ties-locke-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/999369/scandal-will-not-affect-sino-us-ties-locke-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A heated discussion has been raging in cyberspace on the mainland about the US ambassador's shunning of a five-star hotel in favour of a cheaper one when he went to a conference in Hainan province this week. Gary Locke, who is known to be low-key and frugal, is back in the mainland media limelight after reportedly saying he could not afford the official hotel for the Boao Forum for Asia, which ended on Tuesday. A reporter with Southern Television Guangdong said on her weibo microblog on Tuesday... https://www.scmp.com/article/997448/us-ambassador-earns-praise-again-his-thrift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/997448/us-ambassador-earns-praise-again-his-thrift?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 United States ambassador to China Gary Locke has unveiled a pilot programme to waive visa interviews for 100,000 mainland applicants this year. In remarks posted on the US embassy's website yesterday, Locke pledged a series of measures to shorten the visa-processing time, as the US seeks to attract more Chinese visitors. Last year, the US embassy in Beijing and its mainland consulates processed 1 million non-immigrant visa applications, up 34 per cent from 2010. They processed 48 per cent more... https://www.scmp.com/article/992216/lockes-us-visa-plan-attract-more-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/992216/lockes-us-visa-plan-attract-more-visitors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The United States is willing to start issuing five-year visas to Chinese nationals, but a reciprocal arrangement is a 'prerequisite', Gary Locke, the US ambassador to China, said yesterday. 'Travel and exchanges between our two countries foster a better understanding of our cultures and our people,' he told the Committee of 100's Fourth Greater China Conference in Hong Kong. 'We'd like to issue five-year visas for Chinese visitors to the US whether for business, travel or study.' Locke said... https://www.scmp.com/article/986919/us-willing-issue-5-year-visas-chinese-locke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/986919/us-willing-issue-5-year-visas-chinese-locke?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 A business dispute may have taken some of the gloss off the reputation in China of US ambassador Gary Locke. He became an online sensation in August when mainland microbloggers contrasted his modest lifestyle with that of spendthrift and arrogant mainland officials. But with the media's attention on Locke last week as he was feted by well wishers in his family's hometown in Guangdong, a manufacturer of lighting in the eastern city of Ningbo sought to play up its lawsuit against a former partner... https://www.scmp.com/article/984311/locke-linked-firms-debt-row-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/984311/locke-linked-firms-debt-row-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 United States Ambassador to China Gary Locke yesterday attributed his success to the hard work and sacrifices made by his Chinese forefathers in an emotion-filled visit to his ancestral village. 'I was born in Seattle ... but my roots are here in China, Guangdong province,' he said on a visit to his father's birth place at Jilong village, Taishan, during a three-day tour of Guangdong. 'I so much believe that my success in the United States was made possible because of the contributions and... https://www.scmp.com/article/983926/my-success-has-roots-china-locke-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983926/my-success-has-roots-china-locke-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 United States Ambassador Gary Locke, an online sensation on the mainland for months, says the unexpected publicity sparked by his humble lifestyle has been overwhelming. Pictures of him buying coffee at Seattle airport with a coupon, flying economy class and carrying his own luggage on arrival in Beijing have filled the mainland blogosphere. The pictures were used by mainland microblog users to compare Locke favourably to spendthrift and arrogant mainland officials. Speaking to reporters in... https://www.scmp.com/article/983831/locke-stunned-attention-bloggers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983831/locke-stunned-attention-bloggers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 US ambassador Gary Locke kick-started a three-day tour of southern China yesterday with a social media campaign designed to appeal to mainland internet users. Locke is set to meet provincial party chief Wang Yang today. He will also meet business executives and students, and visit his ancestral hometown in Taishan, in Guangdong, for the first time as ambassador. He became an online sensation in August when mainland microbloggers contrasted his modest lifestyle with that of spendthrift and... https://www.scmp.com/article/983702/locke-starts-china-tour-online-media-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983702/locke-starts-china-tour-online-media-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Since the US senate confirmed his appointment in July, Ambassador Gary Locke has risen to become America's top star in China. The 'secret weapon' for his immediate success, as the Chinese official media have discovered, is his modest, sometimes humble, everyday behaviour - like carrying his own luggage, flying in economy class, waiting in line at a tour site, talking to college students like 'an uncle next door' as Chinese news reports put it, and having meals with visiting US Vice-President ... https://www.scmp.com/article/980046/no-time-wasted-calling-out-us-envoys-showmanship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/980046/no-time-wasted-calling-out-us-envoys-showmanship?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 When new US Ambassador to China Gary Locke arrived in Beijing at the weekend to take up his post, it really was time for him to wake up and smell the coffee. Locke, 61, a former US secretary of commerce and two-term governor of Washington state, met journalists yesterday for the first time as ambassador at his Beijing home, accompanied by his wife and three children. But while he diplomatically tried to reassure worried mainlanders about the US debt situation, most of the comments in the... https://www.scmp.com/article/976198/diplomacy-over-cup-coffee-locke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/976198/diplomacy-over-cup-coffee-locke?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000 America's new ambassador to China, the first Chinese-American to hold the critical post, has arrived in Beijing amid speculation on how the new envoy will promote mutual trust while handling the many differences between the two countries. Speaking at Beijing airport late on Friday night, Gary Locke expressed his excitement at taking up his new assignment and was confident he would be good bridge between the two nations. 'I am very excited to be here as US ambassador to the great country of... https://www.scmp.com/article/976197/new-us-envoy-locke-aims-cement-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/976197/new-us-envoy-locke-aims-cement-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Few Americans can claim to have connections to China as strong as former Washington state governor Gary Locke: his father was born in Guangdong province, his mother in Hong Kong, his wife's parents are from Shanghai, and he visits frequently as his law firm's international trade representative. Most impressively, though, he appears to have Hu Jintao's ear. Mr Locke defied foreign diplomatic odds in September last year, when he spent time with the president on the sidelines of the Communist... https://www.scmp.com/article/518050/lockes-stock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/518050/lockes-stock?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2005 16:00:00 +0000 The solution to concerns about China taking jobs from Americans is not by imposing tariffs on Chinese goods, but by creating a level playing field for trade, says leading Chinese-American Gary Locke. The former Washington state governor admitted that because Chinese factories were able to produce goods more cheaply, some American communities were suffering. But he suggested that trade barriers were counter-productive and that the solution lay in US government policies. 'The US needs to ensure... https://www.scmp.com/article/518049/us-tariffs-not-way-safeguard-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/518049/us-tariffs-not-way-safeguard-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2005 16:00:00 +0000