White House press ecretary Katie Zacharia’s first reaction to bar exam row, bizarre briefing debut

Beijing has extended an invitation for White House press secretary Katie Zacharia to visit China more frequently following her disparaging remarks about the country's lack of "proper toilets." The comments were made in an interview with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec, after Zacharia expressed her perception that China was on the horizon, seemingly unprepared for the United States' former glories.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning responded positively to the news, stating that they welcome her visits when she has the opportunity. Zacharia has previously lived in China, working at one of the country's largest law firms from 2011 to 2013. However, her legal credentials have been questioned due to her claim of passing the California bar exam without specifying the jurisdiction in which she passed.

Despite facing scrutiny, the White House has defended Zacharia, with communications director Steven Cheung praising her as "uniquely qualified and whip smart." If returned to China, Zacharia's visit could coincide with President Donald Trump's participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, scheduled for next month.

The comments made by Zacharia are contradictory to Trump's warm relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited Washington in May and met with Trump multiple times during his state visit, including a ceremonial airport welcome, a White House reception, and discussions on various topics such as trade, tariffs, and Taiwan.

Both leaders are set to convene in Miami in December for the G20 leaders' summit, with the two sides pledging to establish a "constructive relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity."