Obama Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Elected Chair Of Top U.S.-China Group Ahead Of Biden Inaugural

Obama Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Elected Chair Of Top U.S.-China Group Ahead Of Biden Inaugural

Gary Locke was the first governor in the continental United States of Asian descent, as well as the ... [+] first Chinese American to serve as the U.S. ambassador to China. (Photo credit: JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)



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The Committee of 100, an elite group that promotes ties between the U.S. and Greater China, has elected a prominent Democrat as chairman days ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Gary Locke, who served as U.S. commerce secretary and ambassador to China under former U.S. president Barack Obama, will assume the post in May, the group said in statement.  Seattle-born Locke was earlier governor of the state of Washington.

Locke, 70, succeeds Roger Wang, the billionaire chairman of Golden Eagle Group who led the Committee of 100 amid tumultuous Sino-U.S. relations during the Trump administration and global fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.



“I am excited about the energy, passion and commitment Gary Locke and the leadership team will bring to their roles and keep the Committee of 100 top of mind on issues surrounding Chinese Americans,” Wang said in a statement. “When my term as chairman comes to a