The president said that as the grandson of a Chinese immigrant to the United States,
Gary Locke is the right person to advance ties between the two countries.
Locke's appointment to the post requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
He would replace outgoing Ambassador Jon Huntsman, a Republican who might seek to challenge Obama in the 2012 presidential race.
China is the world's most populous country and has one of the fastest-growing economies.
Relations between the United States and China often have been strained over human rights and economic issues.
As he introduced Locke, president Obama called the U.S.-China relationship "one of the most critical of the 21st century."
One of Obama's economic priorities is to dramatically increase U.S. exports, especially to China.
Locke said he has worked toward that end and would continue to do so in his new post.
The president said U.S. companies will be able to count on the new ambassador to represent their interests in front of China's top leaders.



[参考译文]
奥巴马总统表示，作为中国移民的后代，
骆家辉是改善中美关系的合适人选。
骆家辉担任该职位还需要美国参议院的确认。
他将取代即将离职的大使洪博培(Jon Huntsman)。洪博培是一名共和党人，他在2012年的总统选举中可能挑战奥巴马总统。
中国是世界上人口最多的国家，也是经济发展速度最快的国家。
在人权和经济问题上，美国和中国的关系一直比较紧张。
介绍骆家辉的时候，奥巴马称中美之间的关系是“21世纪最关键的关系之一”。
奥巴马总统首要的经济任务是大幅增加美国出口量，尤其是往中国的出口。
骆家辉表示，他过去一直为这个目标而努力，在新的职位上，他将继续为这个目标而奋斗。
总统表示，美国公司可以依靠新大使在中国高级领导人面前代表他们的利益。