Gary Locke measures achievements as ambassador to China in numbers
While critics say Gary Locke will not leave a grand legacy when he quits Beijing, he believes it's the little things, like visa applications, that count
Average wait for a visa. Trade figures. Tallies of Chinese investment in the United States. These have been Locke's obsessions during his tenure as the US ambassador to China.
It has been a tumultuous time in one of America's most complex and important relationships, and Locke has lived moments of enormous drama - including high-stakes negotiations over a blind dissident hiding out in the US embassy and the attempted defection of a Communist Party insider.
But with just weeks left on the job, Locke believes his legacy lies primarily with those numbers.
He points to the waiting period for interviews for Chinese applying for US visas: less than five days on average, down from as high as 100 days a few years ago. He noted that in the past two years, more Chinese investment has poured into the United States than in the previous 11 years combined.
His theory as ambassador, Locke says, is that by focusing on the details - such as the visa process - you can move the needle on much bigger goals, like exposing more Chinese visitors to American-style democracy and values.