Rice was not really Obama's first choice. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has always been a favorite for the position, but Obama and some fellow Democrats worry that naming Kerry would result in his Senate seat being taken by Scott Brown, a popular Republican in Massachusetts.

So a decision was made to pick Rice instead, despite the fact that Kerry has the experience, intellectual acumen and personal charisma necessary for the job. Kerry also has the support of Senate Republicans. Regardless of their motivation, his appointment would help prevent the political division from getting worse.

I followed John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004 and liked most of his world view. Susan Rice, on the other hand, although she is an intelligent woman, hardly smiles on television. That impression has been reinforced by the comments of people who know her, who describe her as "tough and not the friendliest person".

But the representative of the world's only superpower needs to possess other qualities, such as charm and eloquence, to be "highly qualified" to play a leading role in the drama of international relations.

There are other Democrats being suggested to fill the shoes of Hillary Clinton. No one seems to think Obama will pick a Republican for the job at Foggy Bottom, but this would be a great move toward bipartisanship.

In 2009, Obama kept Republican Robert Gates as his secretary of defense and nominated Republican Jon Huntsman as ambassador to China. Obama could now name Huntsman again as his secretary of state.

A moderate and China specialist, Huntsman is also liked by many Democrats. He is not only a good candidate to handle the vital US-China relations, his rational foreign policy stance expressed during the GOP primaries suggests that he would also be appreciated by the rest of the world.

The author, based in New York, is deputy editor of China Daily USA. E-mail: chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/07/2012 page8)