Video of Jon Huntsman Jr. at a rally for 'Jasmine Revolution' in China causes stir

A video is circulating on the Internet that shows former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. at a rally of supporters who want to launch a "Jasmine Revolution" in China, where Huntsman is the U.S. ambassador until his resignation takes effect on April 30.

The video shows Ambassador Huntsman, who is expected to run for president in 2012, wearing sunglasses and a jacket with an American flag on the shoulder outside a Beijing McDonald's on Sunday.

"Hey Mr Ambassador, what are you doing here?" he is asked in Chinese, according to a translation on a website called the Shanghaiist.

"I'm just here to look around," Huntsman said.

The questioner, whose image is blurred, says, "You want to see China in chaos, don't you?"

"No, I don't," Huntsman said.

Huntsman then left.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that censors have blocked Internet searches for the Huntsman's Chinese name, "Hong Bopei."

A U.S. embassy spokesperson told China Real Time that it was a coincidence that Huntsman, his wife, his adopted Chinese daughter Gracie Mae and others showed up at the scene. The group was headed to a museum in Tiananmen Square, the spokesman said. China Real Time is a Wall Street Journal blog, and one of the bloggers saw Huntsman's party arrive at the rally.

Nationalistic Chinese bloggers have rejected that explanation. One, anti-cnn.com, the site that uploaded the video, accused Huntsman of fomenting the rally.

"The U.S. ambassador actually rushed to the scene in Wangfujing in person to cheer it on and encourage it," the site said.

The rally drew hundreds of protestors and was one of 13 in China designed to build on pro-democracy protests in the Middle East. Chinese police arrested three people at the Beijing rally where Huntsman was videotaped. An Associated Press report said jittery Chinese government officials attempted to squash the rallies. Jasmine Revolution is the name for the recent protests in Tunisia.

Some observers believe Huntsman has launched a president PAC after seeing this website appear online.

e-mail: twalch@desnews.com