BEIJING: Beijing told White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia on Friday to visit China "more often" after she said the country lacked "proper toilets" less than a week into her new post.
After years of intense rivalry between the United States and China over issues ranging from trade and technology to Taiwan and human rights, the US president's new spokesperson took the relationship between the two sides into uncharted territory.
Zacharia, who previously lived in China and is due to visit next month, recalled in an interview the perception in 2016 that China would soon overtake the United States.
"I remember this very distinctly, having just come from China, thinking, 'How is China the next country on the horizon? They don't even have proper toilets," she told right-wing influencer Jack Posobiec.
In response, China's foreign ministry on Friday suggested she might want to make another trip to the country.
"We welcome her to visit China more often when she has the opportunity," spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters, suppressing a smile.
Trump has often spoken about his "great relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he has met twice this year, although ties remain strained.
Zacharia's remarks came just days after what many considered a questionable debut before the White House press corps, during which she appeared unable to answer basic questions and at one point referred to her husband as the president.
The 41-year-old is already under scrutiny over her legal credentials after giving an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam, a prerequisite for practising law in the United States.
The self-described lawyer lists herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative non-profit organisation. She has also said she previously worked at a law firm in Beijing.
Asked about her legal background on Thursday, she said she had registered to take the bar exam but was then "distracted and overwhelmed" by plans to move to China with her husband.
Zacharia said she did not retake the bar exam after returning to the United States because of the birth of her first child.
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