Sound bites

"For more than two decades Max Baucus has worked to deepen the relationship between the United States and China. The economic agreements he helped forge have created millions of American jobs and added billions of dollars to our economy, and he's perfectly suited to build on that progress in his new role. "

US President Barack Obama

"We welcome Max Baucus, the new US ambassador to China, as he takes up his post in Beijing and hope that he will be able to help develop relations between China and US through his experience and contacts. "

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai

"I would advise him simply to travel as much as he can throughout China, to really understand that Beijing does not represent all of China."

Gary Locke, former US ambassador to China

"Although Max Baucus is not extremely well known in popular American lore like Caroline Kennedy, nor is he a China specialist, he is a retiring senior senator with substantial interest and experience in trade and foreign policy issues. Moreover, his long experience in the Senate and Democratic Party politics should give him both the ear of the president and clout with the Congress, which is important."

Orville Schell, Arthur Ross director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society

China Daily

(China Daily 03/19/2014 page12)