China's rise is now unstoppable! Speaking on October 16, White House press secretary Katie Zakaria said: “I remember thinking back to 2016, when we were told China was about to rise. I had just returned from China at the time and thought: ‘How could China possibly be the next rising power? They don’t even have decent toilets.’”
This incident cannot be dismissed as a mere slip of the tongue. Beneath the surface lie three deeper layers: Trump’s personnel logic for a second term, the media rhythm ahead of the midterm elections, and a shift in America’s narrative toward China—from emotionally charged anti-China rhetoric to a more calculated, China-savvy form of opposition. Trump has consistently prioritized loyalty in his appointments. Zakaria has long defended Trump on conservative outlets such as Fox News and Newsmax, and served as senior communications advisor at Trump’s “Truth Social,” placing her within the inner circle.
More significantly, she possesses firsthand experience working and living in China. She spent several years in Beijing, and her husband previously worked in private equity there. She can understand spoken Chinese and has familiarity with China’s business and legal environment—rare credentials in Washington. Traditional China experts typically emerge from diplomatic circles, but Zakaria comes from commercial and legal contexts. If she remains in the White House, she is unlikely to be a mere slogan-chanting, emotional hawk; instead, she may function as a precision-oriented communicator—well-versed in Chinese logic, attuned to politically effective issues in the U.S. domestic landscape, and adept at crafting language that resonates with strategic impact.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879162260623360/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.