New White House Press Secretary: China "doesn't even have decent toilets"

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia, who has been in office for less than a week, has been the focus of public opinion this week due to issues related to China-related remarks and legal qualifications.

In an interview broadcast on Thursday (October 15), the 41-year-old press secretary said China lacked "decent toilets". That same day, she admitted on Fox News that she failed the bar exam.

China-related remarks: "They don't even have decent toilets"

Zakaria once lived in China. In an interview with right-wing Internet celebrity Jack Posobiec, she recalled that in 2016, people generally believed that China would soon surpass the United States.

"Everyone was telling us at the time that Hillary Clinton was going to win. America's golden age, its glory days, were over. China was rising," she said.

"I remember very clearly, I had just come back from China and thinking: 'How can China be the next rising country? They don't even have decent toilets,'" she added.

There was no immediate comment from Chinese authorities.

The remarks come as the leaders of China and the United States are in close contact. Trump has boasted of his "great relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At a September summit in Washington, the two leaders discussed artificial intelligence, trade and the stalled war with Iran, among other topics, and confirmed that a third and fourth meeting would be held this year.

After Xi Jinping came to power in China, he not only vigorously promoted the "toilet revolution". According to a report by the state-run Xinhua News Agency in November 2017, "Many people once had a bad feeling when it came to China's toilets. In public places such as streets and scenic spots, toilets were dirty, messy, poor, biased, and sparse. The difficulty of using the toilet became a prominent problem that the masses strongly complained about. In some rural areas, 'two bricks, one pit, maggots and flies breed and create a stinking mess.' The condition of toilets is related to people's lives, reflects civilized fashion, and is related to the image of the country."

Xinhua News Agency reported that "General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions and emphasized that we should unremittingly promote the 'toilet revolution' and strive to make up for the shortcomings that affect the quality of people's lives." "Small matters concerning people's livelihood reflect General Secretary Xi Jinping's great sentiments."

Lawyer’s identity in doubt: Rare question from pro-Trump host

Zakaria's legal qualifications also came under scrutiny from the outside world when he first took office. She had previously given a vague answer when asked where she passed the bar exam. In the United States, passing the bar exam is a prerequisite for practicing law.

On Thursday, Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Zakaria directly on the show if he had passed the bar exam. She said she had failed; when pressed further, she admitted that she had not taken the exam again.

Hannity is considered one of Trump's closest and most influential allies and often presents Trump's policies and actions head-on on the show. But the tone of this interview was completely different. He showed Zakaria media reports that she had used a legal professional title in about 15 social media posts without evidence that she held a license to practice law. He asked her why she didn't just admit that she failed the test.

Zakaria tried to downplay the issue. She said she had pre-registered to take the bar exam, and that summer she already knew she would be living in China and that the results of the exam were irrelevant — even though she was going to work at a Chinese law firm. She said that the reason why she still took the exam was because she did not want to leave a record of "giving up the exam".

She also said that after returning to the United States, she did not take the bar exam again because of the birth of her first child.

"lawyer" or "attorney", or neither?

Zakaria has a law degree from Pepperdine University and worked at a law firm in Beijing. She calls herself an attorney and lists on her resume as general counsel for a conservative nonprofit in California.

Critics and some legal experts have questioned her repeated references to herself as a "lawyer," saying there is no evidence she was ever licensed to practice law in the United States.

One of the focal points of the controversy lies in the difference between the English words "attorney" and "lawyer". The two are often used interchangeably, but "attorney" generally refers to a licensed practicing attorney, while "lawyer" is sometimes used to refer to a law graduate.

Zakaria told the New York Times that she sought advice before appearing as a television commentator and was advised not to use "attorney" but to use "lawyer." However, legal experts point out that the word "lawyer" may also imply professional qualifications and may even violate the law.

It is worth noting that Trump himself called Zakaria an "attorney" when he announced her appointment. There are no legal qualifications or licenses required to serve as White House press secretary.

Only three reporters’ questions were answered at the first briefing

Zakaria hosted her first White House press briefing on Tuesday (October 13) and only answered questions from three reporters.

She replaces Karoline Leavitt. Levitt, a loyal Trump supporter and often aggressive spokesman, resigned suddenly in August this year because he had to take care of his young children.