Huntsman, Former U.S. Ambassador To Beijing, Announces Presidential Campaign

Republican Jon Huntsman announces his bid for the presidency in Jersey City on June 21.

The man who worked as President Barack Obama's ambassador to China has announced his campaign to challenge Obama in the 2012 U.S. presidential election.

John Huntsman, who is also a former governor of the state of Utah, formally launched his campaign for the Republican Party nomination on June 21 in the state of New Jersey, with the Statue Of Liberty standing in the background behind him.

In his address, Huntsman said it is time for America to start drawing down its involvement in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts and start focusing on renewing the strengths of the United States.

Huntsman is seen by observers as having some of the strongest foreign policy credentials among the Republican candidates seeking the nomination to run against Obama.

Huntsman resigned from his post in Beijing in April after serving as America's top diplomat in China for 20 months.

compiled from agency reports