Source from Wall Street Journal
By SIOBHAN HUGHES

WASHINGTON–The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Gary Locke, the former Commerce Department secretary, as ambassador to China, making the former advocate for U.S. business the diplomatic liaison to a major trade partner.

The confirmation occurred under a fast-track process that avoided a roll-call vote. Mr. Locke succeeds Jon Huntsman, who resigned to run for the U.S. presidency in 2012.

Mr. Locke’s confirmation comes at a delicate time in the U.S. relationship with China, which last year surpassed Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy.

U.S. companies complain that they are frequently shut out of Chinese markets or forced to share technologies in order to gain access–but at the same time many large companies are increasing sales in the fast-growing economy.

In a recent speech, Mr. Locke indicated that he would not let the prospects for sales outweigh other U.S. concerns, warning that China has backtracked on its promises to make the country more friendly to foreign businesses.

The new ambassador, the first Chinese-American to serve in the post in Beijing, has no direct business experience. He is a former governor of Washington state, home to Boeing Co.,Microsoft Corp. and Starbucks Corp. ‘)}