Akhir 03, 1432, March 08, SPA -- President Barack Obama will nominate Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as next U.S. ambassador to China, two administration officials said on Monday. Locke would replace the current ambassador, Jon Huntsman, Reuters reported. An official announcement on Locke is expected later today. Locke, whose appointment would need confirmation by the U.S. Senate, became the first Chinese-American Commerce Secretary when he joined the Obama administration in 2009. He is a former governor of Washington state.