Beijing Extends Invitation to Katie Zacharia Following Controversial Toilet Remarks
China invites former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to visit again after her disparaging comments about the nation's restroom facilities.
POLICY WIRE — Beijing, China — The Chinese government has formally invited former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to return to the country for a visit. This invitation follows public remarks made by Zacharia in which she questioned the quality of restroom facilities throughout China.
Zacharia, who was dismissed by President Donald Trump less than a week into her tenure, made the comments during a Thursday interview with podcaster Jack Posobiec. While reflecting on the 2016 election cycle and the perceived rise of China, she stated, I remember this very distinctly, having just come from China, thinking, how is China the next country on the horizon? They don’t even have proper toilets.
When questioned about the statement during a Friday briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded with a brief remark: “She’s welcome to come and see China more often when she has the opportunity.”
The comments triggered a significant reaction on Weibo, China’s prominent social media platform. While some users labeled the former press secretary as foolish, others acknowledged that certain public facilities in the country were indeed substandard a decade ago.
Since the late 1970s, China has undergone a massive economic transformation, becoming the world’s second-largest economy and lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. However, the nation continues to grapple with development disparities between major urban centers and remote rural regions.
Zacharia’s brief and turbulent time in the White House was marked by intense scrutiny regarding her professional background. A White House official previously confirmed that she had resided in China with her husband.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Zacharia worked for nearly two years starting in 2011 as an associate at the Beijing-based law firm Zhong Lun. She previously stated that she had practiced international transactional law with all the appropriate credentials.
However, the Chinese Ministry of Justice notes that only citizens are eligible to be licensed to practice law in the country, leaving the nature of her credentials in question.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
