Gary Locke

Professions :

Ethnic diversity adds richness to a society.

ethnic richness diversity society

China's history is marked by thousands of years of world-changing innovations: from the compass and gunpowder to acupuncture and the printing press. No one should be surprised that China has re-emerged as an economic superpower.

compass economic china history

Diversity of thought and culture and religion and ideas has been the strength of America.

diversity strength culture religion

We've come a long way since Nixon's first visit to China, or Carter's reestablishment of diplomatic relations.

first china long way

If we expose the Chinese to our freedoms, it may create a greater hunger for democracy, reform and liberties in China.

create hunger china democracy

I'm somewhat overwhelmed by the microblogging that takes place in China, and the smartphones and all the people that want to take pictures of myself and my family.

pictures myself family people

In rural parts of China, it's like stepping back into the era of my grandfather or great-grandfather - not much has changed.

back like china grandfather

I've been through WTO riots in Seattle, massive earthquakes, major floods... forest fires. I just try to be as even-keeled and calm as possible.

forest possible try calm

One of the last books I read was 'Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime' by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. It gives a really good behind-the-scenes look at the campaigns. I didn't ask the president how accurate it was. I wouldn't ask him that.

game good look change

On top of my to-do list in preparing for Beijing is 'On China' by Henry Kissinger, who has had firsthand experience with every top Chinese leader since Mao, so his insights are valuable and his access is perhaps unrivaled.

top china experience leader

I confess to loving a good murder mystery - anything by Scott Turow or John Grisham. Maybe it's a holdover from my days as a criminal prosecutor in Seattle.

loving anything good mystery

I consider myself a D.I.Y. home improvement guy. In a prior life, I completely gutted a house - redid the plumbing, wiring, moved sewage pipes, knocked down walls, everything.

myself improvement home life

If the Chinese can't buy U.S. products, they'll buy them from European countries and then develop stronger economic ties with France and Germany and perhaps side more with those countries when international issues flare up.

side more economic stronger

I think that people always just assumed that I was a liberal because I came from Southeast Seattle.

just think always people

Americans are very easygoing people. If the added attention and great visibility that I have been able to generate can help open doors and expose more Chinese to American values and the American way of life, that is great.

great life people way

China is a country, still, of great contrast. While hundreds of millions of people are part of the middle class and yearn for things made in America - American brands, movies, music - there are other hundreds of millions of people throughout China who are living on the equivalent of one U.S. dollar a day.

day great music people

I think that there is a concern, a question mark, by people all around the world and governments all around the world, as to what China's intentions are.

question think people world

As President Obama clearly said just a few months ago, China must play by the international rules, the international trading system from which they've benefited so much.

rules just play said

The human rights record within China seems to rise and fall over time, but it's very clear that in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and since then, there's been a greater intolerance of dissent and the human rights record of China has been going in the wrong direction.

direction rise time fall

The constant influx of new cultures, new ideas and new ways of looking at old problems is a big part of the reason why America has been the most dynamic economy in the world for well over a century.

problems looking world ideas

Bill Jenkins

Brad Duguid

Bruce Grocott, Baron Grocott

Brinda Karat

Boyle Roche

Boutros Boutros-Ghali