Beijing, February 01: United States’ Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman is planning to leave his post in an attempt to lay the groundwork for his presidential ambitions, reports say.
“Ambassador Huntsman has told several people inside this building that he plans to leave during the first part of this year,” Reuters quoted White House spokesman Robert Gibbs as saying on Monday.
The senior US official, however, dismissed reports that Huntsman would take on President Barack Obama in 2012. “I have talked to several people…and I have not heard anybody say they know what the future holds for Ambassador Huntsman.”
An article published by the Newsweek earlier this month wrote that former Republican governor of Utah is leaning towards a run for president in 2012.
Most political observers view Huntsman’s desire to end his diplomatic assignment as part of a campaign to capture the Republican nomination.
Last week, Obama was asked by reporters at a joint news conference with visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao about the prospects of Huntsman challenging him in 2012.
“I couldn’t be happier with the ambassador’s service, and I’m sure he will be very successful in whatever endeavors he chooses in the future. And I’m sure that him having worked so well for me will be a great asset in any Republican primary,” he said.
Huntsman’s allies suggest he might seek the presidency in 2016, after Democratic President Barack Obama will be off the scene.
——–Agencies