After a brief visit to his hometown of Seattle, U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke heads off to his new home in Beijing on Thursday, Aug. 11. He will be there to prepare for a visit from U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Aug. 16.
To prepare for his new role, Locke said that he went to a certain kind of school for diplomats in the State Department in D.C. He said, there, he learned about the ethics of his new position and all the rules surrounding what a diplomat can or cannot do.
The embassy employs about 1,000, said Locke, and two-thirds of them are local Chinese. He said the home he and his family is staying in is not close to the embassy, about an hour’s drive away.
Additionally, Locke’s wife, Mona, cannot work in China because if she works, they would not receive much immunity if something happens. However, she will have many opportunities to volunteer.
In Beijing, Locke will also help his three kids adjust to their new schools, though they will be starting a bit late, as the school session has already begun. ♦
