Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the US to reflect deeply and take concrete measures in addressing systematic racial discrimination, protect the legitimate rights and interests of ethnic minorities, including the Asian community, so that they can be free from violence and fear and enjoy their equal rights. 

The remarks came after media revealed that the US Justice Department is completing a review of an enforcement initiative aimed at combating the so-called Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft, an examination that triggered plenty of critics as Asians including Chinese and Chinese-American scientists are increasingly fearful about working in the US. In 2018, the US authority unveiled the "China Initiative," according to media.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference on Thursday that the so-called China Initiative and the rampant anti-Asian rhetoric in the US are a reflection of systemic racial discrimination in the country and exposed US' deep-rooted social ills.

Citing data, Wang noted that the number of hate crimes against Asians in the US surged 76 percent in 2020, and in the past year one in four Asian-Americans has become the target of racial discrimination and bullying. 

The statistics are shocking and have sparked wide concern from multiple Asian countries and even the international community.

Chung Byung-hwa, South Korea's consul general in New York, will meet with Edward Mermelstein, New York City's commissioner for international affairs, on Friday to formally call on NYC authorities to step up actions to counter a surge in crimes there against Asians in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the South Korean media outlet Yonhap on Tuesday.

At a White House press briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki praised Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim - one among a number of Asian-American women who have suffered racist abuse in the US - for her "courage" in speaking out about hate crimes, and blamed anti-Asian COVID rhetoric for a continued rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans, media reported.

Global Times