Stora tråden om amerikansk utrikespolitik

Some military experts project that within a little more than a decade, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy may have more warships than Washington under its command. Beijing’s military buildup is part of its strategy to dominate many disputed territories in the South China Sea – and push America back.

(CNN)Former Utah governor and 2012 GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is in discussions to be US ambassador to Russia, a senior administration official told CNN.

The source said Huntsman spoke with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about it last week and discussions are progressing.

As President-elect Donald Trump expands his search for Secretary of State, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s name has crept into the mix. “I’m honored and thrilled to be on that list,” Huntsman told ABC News, although he cautions that no formal meetings have been set up yet.

Huntsman was Ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011, and praised Trump’s phone call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. Huntsman also spent time as a missionary in Taiwan.

What he used to do: From 2005 to 2009, Huntsman was Governor of Utah, and subsequently became Ambassador to China, nominated by President Obama. This was Huntsman’s second stint as an ambassador in Asia -- he was U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993. He ran as a candidate in the 2012 Presidential race, but withdrew after the New Hampshire primary.

What we know about his world view: As a 2012 Presidential Candidate, Huntsman was opposed to a nuclear-armed Iran, but never specified what would lead him to use force over sanctions and diplomacy, which he said he preferred. He supported the withdrawal of forces from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In regards to Russia, Huntsman argued that the U.S. relationship with the country should be viewed more objectively.

During a GOP Presidential debate in January 2012, Huntsman said the U.S. relationship with China is the most important one of the 21st century.

Russia: Huntsman says the Obama administration’s reset of U.S.-Russia relations is like a "Potemkin village in which we pretend the Kremlin is more of a partner than it is, more of a democracy than it is, more respectful of human rights than it is, and less threatening to its neighbors than it is." He wants to work with Russia on issues such as arms control, U.N. Security Council action against Iran, and the war in Afghanistan, but he argues the relationship should be viewed "with more objective eyes." He warns that Obama’s plan for a missile defense system in Europe "will remain the thorn in the side of the U.S.-Russian relationship" and might give Russia a reason to suspend the New START arms-control agreement. "The U.S. must be prepared for this worst-case scenario and back our Central European partners (Romania, Poland) who continue to support U.S. missile defense policy," he adds.