You’re Expected To Address Them As “Your Excellency”
June 8th, 2009
Submitted by: David McKinnon
President Obama recently appointed Jon Huntsman, Jr. as the U.S. Ambassador to China. This was a very interesting move. Not only is Huntsman a Republican, but he was a big supporter of John McCain and he served as a campaign advisor. I think this shows how important US relations with China really are. So important that Obama felt it necessary to put partisan politics aside and appoint who he felt would be the best choice, a move that angered quite a few Democrats. He recognized that this appointment is not one that can be taken lightly or filled by somebody just because they’re “in his club.” Also, Huntsman served as the Governor of my home state of Utah, so I thought I could fill you in on who he is and a little about his background.
So, what is an ambassador? What do they do? Before answering those questions, just know that, if you ever run across one, you’re expected to address them as “Your Excellency.”
Believe it or not, it is said that Genghis Khan was the first to introduce the idea of ambassadors. Back in the early 1200’s Khan saw the potential that a trade partnership with Khwarezmia (a neighboring empire) could produce. Khan sent representatives to establish ties, but they were killed by skeptical government officials. Khan sent a second party, and all but one were killed. Khan, believing that his representatives should have protection and immunity, became furious and conquered the empire. This set a precedent for representative relations among foreign governments.
Nowadays, Ambassadors are protected by diplomatic immunity – that means no parking tickets, ever (I know that because Morgan repeatedly complains about the millions owed by visiting UN officials to the city of New York for unpaid parking tickets). Ambassadors are our nation’s highest ranking government representatives in the country they serve. They manage the different aspects of the embassy. They manage the economic and political relationship with the country, and oversee the interests and welfare of US citizens living there. For a more complete list of what Ambassador Responsibilities include, you can check out this link:
http://montevideo.usembassy.gov/usaweb/paginas/01-03EN.shtml
Hunstman served a church mission in Taiwan where he was able to learn Mandarin Chinese. Many of you know that I served a similar church mission in Ecuador. I think this gives him a unique view, having directly worked with and served common people, not just dignitaries. He has a business background, graduating with a degree from Wharton. He later lived in Taipei with his family for a few years, which allowed him to adapt his business background to Asian practices. I think all of these things caught Obama’s eye and as a result, Huntsman gained his trust. Huntsman has the tools to succeed in China, and be an effective representative of our nation.
So what do you guys think? What are some of the issues you see Huntsman discussing or addressing in the future? He is there to represent our government’s interests, so what are some of the pressing issues or interests that will be addressed in the coming years? Will economic issues dominate roundtable discussions, and how aggressive will the US be with more sensitive issues, such as human rights and the environment?
Professor Carr January 19, 2011 addendum: And here is a wonderful WSJ article to follow up on David’s post on how Huntsman is charming them in Beijing: When Diplomacy Means Abandoning the Rule Book.
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, Beijing, China
7 Comments Add your own
1. Oscar Merlin | June 8th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I think that economic and environmental issues are going to dominate round table discussions in the coming years. In regards to economic issues I think that China has been paying close attention to the way banks are structured and the degree of damage that they can cause when they become too independent. So the long awaited overhaul of the Chinese financial system, whenever that happens, is going to try to prevent another world recession from damaging them as much as it did on this one. So they are still going to be raising some eyebrows here at home with the way the handle inflation and appreciation of their currency.
And in regards to the environment, I think that when we are over there we are going to realize the types of environmental topics that will be a matter of friction with the Chinese, as US citizens try to prevent most of that environmental damage from reaching our shores and creating havoc.
2. Michael Mossman | June 8th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Jon Huntsman, Jr. definitely has a full plate on his hands. China plays so many important roles today and is so interconnection with the United States that it is crucial to build on the current relationship. Huntsman has to deal with the problem of balancing a friendly relationship while pushing for issues such as human rights in China. Although it seems the human rights issue is on the back burner because Secretary of State Clinton did not even bring up the issue on her recent trip to China. The United States is going to have a hard time influencing the PRC government to improve human rights and freedom in any form. It is going to be really interesting to see how this develops over the coming years.
I am sure the economy and trade are major talking points at many of Huntsman’s meetings with the Chinese. We have all been learning over the past year how China needs the United States just as much as the United States needs China. It is now Huntsman’s job to make sure things stay in order to keep trade open and strong. I don’t know how involved Huntsman gets into the North Korean dilemma and the Chinese governments holdings in US government securities, but these are hot topics which keep both countries in constant communication. It is important for the US to work with China on the North Korean issues because it seems like China is the only country who has any influence over North Korea. With respect to the environment, I am hopeful that the US will take a hard stance with China on its environmental record. Not only does it affect the 1.3 billion people who live there but the entire world due to the massive output of greenhouse gases by China.
3. Mark Polydoris | June 9th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I agree with Oscar that economic issues will continue to be the most pressing issues, even after our economic “crisis” starts to become more contained. As we’ve seen, the economic fate of both China and the US are closely tied, and it will be important to keep communication open in the future. From there, I believe that the environment will be the second-most important topic to discuss. In the midst of the economic situation, the environment quickly takes a back-burner. However, hopefully the take-away the US economic crisis is that the environment and the economy MUST be tied closely together. It was irresponsibility that got us into this mess (in terms of both the economy and environment), and Huntsman will have a full-time job trying to make sure that both of these issues are on the forefront of the Chinese agenda, and that they can be linked together.
By the way, we leave for Asia in a week. Start packing!
4. Victoria Rodriguez | June 9th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
David, thank you for the great post. Mr. Huntsman sounds like the right person for the job. If he is as well spoken as David, he will do a good job. The mission he served gives him the right communication skills – with people, language and culture.
I have to agree with the others that economics and environmental issues will take center. I have seen and believe that the two can go hand in hand, meaning that making environmental changes can help the bottom line and the economy – it just takes innovation and motivation. In terms of the U.S. and the environment, I think U.S. also has a long way to go in lessening our environmental impact. I would like to see more of a global partnership in improving the environment and our impact. There are organizations out there trying to set international environmental standards (like the IPCC), but every country needs to take part.
5. Jason Larocco | June 10th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
The economy and the environment are both issues that will be making headlines and will demand significant attention from his Excellency Mr. Jon Huntsman. However, Taiwan and North Korea are both huge areas of concern. China has done a lot of work to gain a seat at the big boy table, and now that they are here they have to deal with some big boy problems. The rest of the world is watching closely to see how China handles their problematic kid brother North Korea. If China successfully neutralizes North Korea then I think they will earn a lot of international big boy credibility.
China and Taiwan’s relationship is still very volatile and the U.S. is stuck right in the middle of it. Hopefully Huntsman has developed a thorough understanding of this relationship during his time in Taiwan. One military accident, environmental catastrophe that negatively affects the other, or a political misstep by either side, and a bitter history may quickly escalate into a war. Huntsman will be working overtime to watching China-Taiwan relations and keeping the U.S. from being involved in a war with no winners from any standpoint.
6. Cece Reyes | June 11th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I respect the fact that politics were seemingly set aside in order to name Huntsman as Ambassador. His Excellency definitely has a unique perspective to offer and the education and experience will be of great benefit.
Right away, Huntsman will be faced with the incredible challenge of dealing with China in light of the situation with North Korea. The conviction of Laura Ling and Euna Lee has been viewed as a bold move that may play a role in conversations to come regarding nuclear issues.
In the future, I agree that the economy and the environment will be the key issues to be dealt with between the US and China. China has already shown signs of realizing that there are environmental issues and hopefully Huntsman will be able to effectively collaborate with China.
7. Alex vanDalen | June 12th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Interesting history point on the origin of ambassadors!.
It makes me wonder if the jobs of ambassadors are as relevant as they once were given the fact that political decisions seem to tow the party line on both sides of the Pacific. Though i am skeptical as to how government officials with limited decision making capabilities can accomplish much but reiterating their positions to one another yet again, I am sure their are many intricate factions that are performed in the role of ambassador that i am unaware of.
Perhaps the job has not so much lost its purpose, as the purpose has become much more subtle.
It remains to be seen how the CCP will react to a minister from Taiwan, however I believe that the choice of an ambassador with a slightly oppositional background may be just the thing that America needs to send a message of fiscal and intellectual independence to the Beijing government.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed