Huntsman considered for deputy secretary of state

Jon Huntsman, the former US ambassador to China and ex-Utah governor, is under consideration to be deputy secretary of state, according to The Wall Street Journal.

No final decision has been taken, and other candidates may be under consideration, according to US officials, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Huntsman, who had previously been considered for secretary of state under Trump, is also under consideration for an ambassadorship, one official said, according to the Journal, which did not identify the officials by name.

Huntsman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from the newspaper.

Huntsman served as ambassador to China under President Barack Obama and sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2012

US President Donald Trump rejected Elliott Abrams for the deputy post, apparently because of criticisms Abrams made of him during his presidential campaign. Abrams had the backing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for the position.

Huntsman endorsed Trump for president in September, but the next month called on him to quit the race because of reports that Trump had made sexually aggressive comments about women.