Chinese anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States has always been high, and Chinese people seem to become low-white wherever they are. However, it was against this background that one person was elected governor of the United States as a Chinese, and later served as ambassador to China. What is the basis for his soaring progress in the US political arena? He is anti-China!
He was elected governor of Washington as a Chinese-American
Back then, Locke's grandfather followed the "gold rush" to the United States to make a living, but there was no place for him in this prosperous place on the other side of the ocean. With a language barrier and no skills, Locke's grandfather couldn't even find a place to live. In desperation, Locke's grandfather had to return to China to live, and gave birth to Luo Rongshuo in Taishan, Guangdong, Locke's father. When Luo Rongshuo was 13 years old, the family set off for the United States again. This time, they were well prepared and settled in Seattle, Washington.
Not long after, World War II broke out, and Luo Rongshuo enlisted in the U.S. Army. And it is precisely because of his experience of enlisting in the army that Locke has the cornerstone of his entry into American politics. Because of Luo Rongshuo's military status, the family was able to live in free public housing built in the United States for veterans.
Although they have a poor life, the Locke family at least has a place to shelter from the wind and rain, and Luo Rongshuo and his wife have more spare resources to invest in their children's studies. Locke is also sensible himself, and in addition to studying hard, he also works part-time to reduce the burden on his family.
Locke is willing to work hard and is smart, and he naturally prosperes in his studies. After graduating from Yale University with political science, he went on to Boston University School of Law, where he received his LL.M. degree. With a good academic background as an endorsement, Locke's first job after stepping into society was "decent" than most of his peers - assistant chief prosecutor of the King County Attorney's Office in Washington.
So how can you make a name for yourself in politics? Do you have to work hard? Of course not, you have to know how to take advantage of the situation. Locke gained a lot of connections by helping the Chinese community leader Zhou Ma Shuangjin run for the state Senate, and after a little business, these people became Locke's first supporters. He was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1982, King County Governor in 1993, and Washington Governor in 1996...... This is the beginning of the road to green clouds.
Gary Locke was the first Chinese-American governor in U.S. history, and he was personally present to congratulate him on his inauguration. Later, Clinton also made a point of commenting on Locke as "an excellent and proud son" in his State of the Union address. Locke is so valued not only for his personal talents, but also for his special identity - Chinese. His election as governor of Washington State coincided with the need for the U.S. government to ease Sino-US relations and develop bilateral trade, and in this regard, a Chinese-American face was naturally much more convenient than others.
Anti-China politicians have returned to China to make money
Locke's rise to prominence in American politics is inseparable from his Chinese-American identity, and to a certain extent, he needs to be grateful that he is Chinese-American. However, Locke regarded the United States as his "home" from the bottom of his heart, and did not care about his identity as a "Chinese" at all. In 2010, Huawei, which was not well-known at the time, was desperate to open up the U.S. market, so Huawei participated in a bidding meeting in June of that year. Huawei's meticulous preparation was shattered by Locke's dreams.
Locke had already sat in the position of secretary of commerce at that time, and in order to show loyalty to the US government, he took the initiative to suppress Huawei. After a series of measures such as increasing tariffs and restricting bidding, Huawei was forced out of the game. Since then, it has become a common practice for the U.S. government to "confront" foreign companies in person. During Locke's tenure, there was more than one black hand against Chinese companies, and he relied on "anti-China" to make a lot of political capital, which in a sense can be called an evergreen tree in the American political arena during that time.
Because of his "excellent" performance, in August 2011, Gary Locke was appointed as the new U.S. ambassador to China. During his stay in China, Locke did not forget to show his loyalty. On the surface, he took his wife and children to perform "down-to-earth" on the streets of Beijing, and behind his back, he engaged in all kinds of small actions to stigmatize China. At first, the Chinese people did have a preference for him because of his Chinese identity and down-to-earth performance, but it didn't take long for his true colors to be completely exposed, and there was no positive image in the hearts of the Chinese people. In November 2013, Locke resigned.
After leaving American politics, Locke found another way to make a fortune and came to China to make money. Locke's resume is there, and many forums like to invite this kind of person to appear, so as to gild their activities. What is the 6th Invest in America Summit Forum and the Summit Dialogue on European and American Investment...... By attending these events, Locke earned a hefty appearance fee.
Some American media specially reported on this incident, and they used "crazy" to describe Locke's trip to make money in China, saying that the amount of money he has made in recent years is estimated to cover all his wages in the first half of his life.
It is indeed admirable for Locke to stand out as a Chinese and gain a place in American politics, but his mercenary politician face is really despicable. In short, such a character is better to shine in the United States.
Bibliography:
[1] Kanshi Akiba.Chinese American Secretary Gary Locke: Suppressed Huawei several times when he was in office, and went to China to make crazy money after leaving office[J].Enterprise Observer,2022(08):32-37.
[2] "U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke Resigns Next Year to Return to China or Seek Greater Development", Beijing News, 2013.11.21.
[3] "U.S. Business Tycoons Strongly Support Gary Locke as U.S. Ambassador to China", China News Network, 2011.03.10.
[4] "On November 5, 1996, Gary Locke was elected as the first Chinese governor in U.S. history", People's Daily Online, 2009.02.26.