US Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, smiles before the Committee passed the Democratic healthcare reform bill on Capitol Hill in Washington in this October 13, 2009 file photo. US President Barack Obama announced his nomination of Senator Max Baucus as new ambassador to China.[Photo / Agencies]

WASHINGTON -- US President Barack Obama on Friday announced his nomination of Senator Max Baucus as new ambassador to China to replace Gary Locke, who will step down early next year.

"For more than two decades Max Baucus has worked to deepen the relationship between the United States and China," Obama said in a statement. "The economic agreements he helped forge have created millions of American jobs and added billions of dollars to our economy, and he's perfectly suited to build on that progress in his new role."

Obama's pick of the six-term senator must be confirmed by the Senate, which is not expected to debate the nomination until early next year.

A Montana Democrat, Baucus was first elected to the Senate in 1978. He has the third longest tenure among those currently serving in the chamber.

Baucus is chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, vice chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, and a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

He is also a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and chairs its Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Before his election to the Senate, Baucus was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1978. He served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1973 to 1974.

He received both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree from Stanford University.