seattletimes | A major Chinese government news service used a racist slur to
describe the departing U.S. ambassador in an editorial Friday that drew
widespread public condemnation in China.
The editorial — which called former Washington Gov. Gary Locke a
“rotten banana,” a guide dog for the blind and a plague — reflected
Chinese nationalists’ loathing for the first Chinese American to have
been the nation’s top envoy to Beijing.
Locke’s ethnic background particularly interested the Chinese
government and people. Locke won public applause when he was seen
carrying his own bag and flying economy class, but he drew criticism
from officials in Beijing as his demeanor became an unwelcome contrast
to Chinese officials’ privileges and entitlements.
In Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry paid tribute to Locke as
“a champion of human dignity and a relentless advocate for America’s
values.” Asked about the China News Service commentary, State Department
spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Friday: “We are not going to
dignify the name-calling in that editorial with a response.”
In his 2½ years in Beijing, Locke oversaw the defusing of two
delicate diplomatic episodes, when a powerful police chief fled to a
U.S. Consulate and later when a persecuted blind activist sought shelter
in the embassy. The Chinese public also credit him with making them
realize the harm of the tiny particulate pollutant PM2.5 and the
severity of China’s foul air by posting the embassy’s hourly readings of
air quality.
Meanwhile, editorials in Chinese state media turned from initial
reservation to unfriendliness and to the insolence of the final piece.
“I think it shows the unfriendliness and impoliteness by the Chinese
government toward Gary Locke, and it is without the manners and dignity
of a major power,” legal scholar Hao Jinsong said. “It is unfitting of
China’s status as a diplomatic power. As a Chinese, I am very angry and
feel ashamed of it.”
The editorial “Farewell, Gary Locke” took direct aim at Locke’s
identity as a third-generation Chinese American, calling him a “banana,”
a term for Asians identifying with Western values despite their skin
color.
“But when a banana sits out for long, its yellow peels will always
rot, not only revealing its white core but also turning into the
stomach-churning color of black,” read the editorial.
The author Wang Ping — likely a pseudonym — slammed Locke’s portrayal
as an official judicious with public funds and called him hypocritical
as he retreated into his multimillion-dollar official residence and
specially made, bulletproof luxury vehicle.
