Friends i am stunned and sure you too for this undiplomatic language used against US Diplomate KAC CHINA: STATE NEWS AGENCY USES RACIAL SLUR IN BITTER FAREWELL TO U.S. ENVOY “yellow-skinned, white-hearted banana man,“plague” that brought the dangerous smog to Beijing; a guide dog On February 27, a Chinese state-run news agency published a scathing goodbye message to U.S. ambassador Gary Locke, who announced his resignation late last year and left the post at the end of February (see CMB No. 97). Locke, the first Chinese American to serve as Washington’s top envoy to China, is known for his efforts to promote human rights and raise awareness on air pollution by releasing hourly air-quality readings from the embassy in Beijing. He also became famous in China for his humble demeanor in comparison with Chinese officials, as pictures of him carrying his own bags and queuing up at a Starbucks went viral on Chinese social media. The opinion piece from the China News Service, the second-biggest news wire in China after Xinhua, used a racist slur against Locke, describing him as a “yellow-skinned, white-hearted banana man, [whose] yellow peels will always rot, not only revealing its white core but also turning into the stomach-churning color of black.” The piece further denounced him as a “plague” that brought the dangerous smog to Beijing; a “guide dog” for blind rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng, who took shelter in the embassy after fleeing extralegal detention (see CMB No. 57); and a disgrace to his ancestors who incited “evil winds” and “evil fires” with his visits to the restive regions of Tibet and Xinjiang (see CMB No. 74). The mean-spirited article drew widespread criticism from the Chinese public. A popular microblogger wrote, “When you call him a plague, you become a national shame as you lack diplomatic etiquette, damage the manner of a great power, and lose the face of all Chinese.” Another commentator, calling the article shameless, said, “Without him, we probably still would not have known what PM2.5 is,” referring to the harmful airborne particles measured by the embassy. The public pressure that resulted from such data releases led the Chinese government to provide more accurate air quality reports. In an indication of Locke’s popularity among the Chinese public, the Chinese edition of Men’s Health featured him, looking trim and clean cut, on the cover of its February issue. Interviewed for the magazine by one of the world’s best badminton players, Lin Dan, Locke said he can hold a plank position for 51 minutes. The cover photo was consequently accompanied by the challenge, “Who can defeat Gary Locke?”
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 09:13:50 +0000
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