Some in US deserve ‘racist disgrace’ more than others

By Yan Yunming Source:Global Times Published: 2019/7/15 19:52:31

Zhao Lijian, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, has been embroiled in a fierce verbal battle on Twitter. Following an open letter issued by 22 developed countries attacking China's governance in its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Zhao tweeted several messages, condemning the West's intervention.

In particular, Zhao uncovered that it was the US, although not among the 22, that "pulled the strings by using 22 puppets." The self-proclaimed "human rights defender" always picks on China's human rights issues, but "says nothing about its own disastrous human rights record."

His rather objective remarks stung some Westerners, making them livid with rage. Former US National Security Adviser Susan Rice made a fiery "racist disgrace" appraisal of him, urging the Chinese ambassador to the US to "send him home."

Rice was provoked by Zhao's comment on southeast Washington DC where "the whites never go" because "it's an area for the blacks and Latinos." But this is the truth. Even BBC's former North America editor Mark Mardell called the district a "no-go area" to "many whites," "where more than 90 percent of the population is African American." 

Did Zhao say anything wrong? Should he be labeled a "racist" simply because he told the truth? No. Rice aimed at the wrong person. 

Just on Sunday, US President Donald Trump targeted four non-white congresswomen, telling them to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." 

Trump and his colleagues deserve the "racist disgrace" more than others. He may not even know that three out of the four lawmakers he taunted were born and raised in the US. Without knowing their backgrounds, the US president sundered them into another camp by just judging their races. 

Worse still, although Trump's words were countered by many Americans, if you leaf through his tweets, it is not hard at all to find his loyal supporters. It seems that the US is not a "great melting pot" it's being portrayed. Instead of integrating, American society of various races and ethnicities is seemingly divided and torn by "white supremacy."

As Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said in her response to Trump, "When Trump tells four American congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms that his plan to 'Make America Great Again' has always been about making America white again."

So, does the US, which is deeply plagued by ethnic issues and immigration problems, have the right to accuse China in the name of human rights?

China knows its land and people very well. Its governance in Xinjiang has obtained great outcomes, not only accepted by the people, but also supported by the international community. In response to the accusations of the 22 countries, 37 other countries, including many Muslim countries, have shown their support to China's policy in Xinjiang. 

Some Western countries don't even know Xinjiang. Their criticism against China is only based on subjective judgments and biased reports. If China is indeed as horrible as they claim, how can the country earn the support of many Muslim countries?

The West, headed by the US, should "first take a good look at itself in the mirror before criticizing others," as Zhao had said. China doesn't need them to point right and left.



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