Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) tried to take the humble route during confirmation hearings on his nomination as the next U.S. ambassador to China.
“I’m no real expert on China. But it’s my strong belief that Chinese people are just as proud as we Americans are proud,” Baucus said during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearings on Tuesday.
The comment was in response to a question posed by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) regarding why China wanted to create a so-called air defense identification zone in the East China Sea.
After the hearing a Baucus aide said the senator was just trying to be modest.
“The senator was being humble, that is the Montana way,” the aide told Politico.
Democratic officials have highlighted Baucus’ efforts to reduce trade barriers between the United States and China as well as his part in bringing China into the World trade Organization as reasons why he would be a good fit to be ambassador.
