Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman refused to apologize during a campaign swing through New Hampshire for being “respectful” and “gracious” to President Barack Obama for appointing him as ambassador to China. Instead, he said he wants to focus on a new “industrial revolution” for the future, the
New Hampshire Union Leader reported.
Huntsman wrote Obama a personal note after his appointment, calling him a “remarkable leader.” He also complimented former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. That has some Republican operatives questioning whether he can garner the support of the GOP primary voters.
Huntsman, however, sees it differently.
“I’ll continue to write ‘thank you’ notes and be gracious,” he told the newspaper. “There’s a difference between a gracious ‘thank you’ and what one blog termed a ‘love letter.’
“You might be respectful of someone that may not share the same worldview.”
U.S-China relations are “a bipartisan issue, and [as ambassador] you’re there to protect, promote U.S. interests,” he said.
Huntsman served for two years before giving up the post to test the presidential waters.
“If there’s one relationship in this world that matters for the next generation and for their financial well-being, it really is the U.S.-China relationship,” he said.
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