US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick is expected to be named Deputy Secretary at the State Department when Condoleezza Rice becomes Secretary, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Zoellick (51) is widely regarded as a tough-minded but non-ideological advocate for US power, the paper noted.

Zoellick and Rice are said to share similar views, according to US officials, although it said some staunch conservatives in the Republican Party belived Zoellick was an internationalist not fully aligned with all of President George W Bush's views.

Any formal announcements about Rice's team at the State Department are not expected until after her presumed confirmation, US officials told the Journal.

Zoellick's appointment as Rice's deputy, the Journal, said also raised the question of who would head the World Bank since Zoellick was believed to be a leading contender for the job.