On October 16, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning publicly responded to remarks by new White House Press Secretary Katie Zaharia, who recently stated in an interview that the People's Republic of China has "no normal bathrooms." According to the Straits Times, Mao Ning answered these comments with a touch of irony during a briefing, stating that he would be glad "if she visited China more often, should she have the opportunity." Thus, Beijing turned a personal observation by an American official into an occasion for a mild yet noticeable diplomatic remark.
Context: The October 15 Interview and the 'Rising Power' Joke
Zaharia made the remark herself in an October 15 interview while sharing impressions of living in China, where she moved in 2011. According to her, upon returning to the United States in 2016, she heard predictions that Hillary Clinton would win the election and that China would become "the next rising power." "I had just come back from China and thought: how can China be the next rising power if they don't even have normal bathrooms," Zaharia recounted. The phrase quickly moved beyond a personal anecdote and was picked up by Chinese state media and the diplomatic department.
A Rough White House Debut
The comments about restrooms came just days after Zaharia's official debut as press secretary, which several outlets reported did not go smoothly. At her first White House press conference on October 13, she appeared flustered several times and frequently looked down at notes to read her answers. At one point, Zaharia mistakenly referred to her husband as "my president," which became one of the most discussed details of that meeting and intensified press scrutiny of her work.
Questions Regarding Professional Status
In addition to difficulties during her first briefings, the new press secretary faced criticism for previously presenting herself as an attorney despite lacking an active license. Zaharia later explained that after graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011, she applied to take the California bar exam but never took it because she was "distracted" by plans to move to China with her husband. This explanation did not put all questions about her professional background to rest.
Change in Office and Diplomatic Background
Katie Zaharia assumed the position of White House Press Secretary succeeding Karoline Leavitt, who left the post in late August following the birth of her second child. Thus, her first weeks in office coincided with a period of adaptation and heightened media attention. Beijing's reaction to her comments about China became yet another element of public dialogue between the two capitals, unfolding in October 2026 against the backdrop of preparations for upcoming high-level U.S.-China contacts.
