WASHINGTON — A day after saying Utahn Jon Huntsman Jr. was in line to become the new U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, the Washington Post now says he turned down that job.

The Post said Thursday that Huntsman now appears to be "coming to Washington to be deputy U.S. trade representative, focusing on Asia matters. He would have ambassadorial rank."

Huntsman was the U.S. ambassador to Singapore during the George Bush Sr. administration. He is vice chairman of Huntsman Chemical, which was founded by his father, Jon Huntsman Sr.

The younger Huntsman had been rumored earlier in the year to be in line to become the U.S. ambassador to China (he speaks Mandarin, learned as an LDS Church missionary to Taiwan). The Post said Wednesday he was instead in line for Indonesia and then on Thursday said he now appears headed to Washington.

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Huntsman declined comment earlier in the year on stories that he was under consideration as an ambassador. Potential nominees routinely decline comment until a formal nomination announcement is made.

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