When President Obama named Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. as his choice for U.S. ambassador to China on Saturday, he noted that the Republican governor is “fluent in Mandarin Chinese” and has lived in Asia three times.
The Deseret News noted that Huntsman learned Mandarin for his service as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan.
A professor who teaches Chinese at Brigham Young University told The Salt Lake Tribune he expects Huntsman, if confirmed, probably will avoid being seen as promoting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the ambassador role. But his LDS connections will still be noticeable, given the church’s prohibition against alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea.
“The Chinese put on huge feasts and there is always plenty of liquor,” Matthew Christensen told the Tribune. “If you don’t drink it or tea, it will be obvious. That can’t help but raise the image of the church.”
The Tribune noted that China prohibits missionaries but the Latter-day Saints have 11 international branches for expatriate members in nine cities.
(Photo credit: www.utah.gov)