Obama taps potential rival for China envoy

WASHINGTON (AP) " With a reach across the political divide for Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman as ambassador to China, President Barack Obama may have sidelined for now a potentially formidable Republican moderate and possible White House challenger in 2012.

Yet Huntsman, who has upset the GOP's conservative base by supporting gay civil unions, may gain, too. The appointment requires Senate approval.

Obama said he made the appointment "mindful of its extraordinary significance" and the breadth of issues at stake in U.S.-China relations, including the global economic crisis, the environment, public health, human rights and North Korea and Pakistan.

Huntsman, 49, is fluent in Mandarin Chinese from his days as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan. He previously served as U.S. ambassador to Singapore and as a deputy U.S. trade ambassador.

As ambassador, Huntsman could play a critical role in getting China to sign onto a new international agreement to curb the emissions blamed for global warming. The Obama administration has said it is willing to enter into a treaty, but that participation by China " the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases " could influence the success of any global pact and whether U.S. lawmakers will ratify the agreement.