Chinese tourist Zhao Yan's alleged assault by a US border guard at Niagara Falls sparked widespread 'anti-US' feelings in Chinese communities in the US and the mainland, comparable to the 'anti-Japan' sentiment spurred by China's defeat in the Asian Cup soccer final.
Almost every Chinese-language community newspaper in New York ran extensive reports on Ms Zhao's case and uniformly denounced the officer for 'racially attacking a Chinese citizen'. A protest and a petition are due to be held soon.
The news, with the aid of the internet, was quickly transmitted to the mainland, where it also stirred anger among the general public (especially in Ms Zhao's home town of Tianjin). This had led to heated debate in the press, while some Net surfers even suggested lodging protests at the US embassy in China and boycotting American goods in response to the 'racial crime'.
Amid the Chinese nationalism, however, few seem to have questioned whether the racial accusation is justified. Ms Zhao allegedly stumbled into a drug raid near the Rainbow Bridge on July 21. US homeland security officer Robert Rhodes is said to have mistaken her for a member of a drug gang and allegedly subdued her using pepper spray, hitting her repeatedly about the head and body. Rhodes has been charged with violating her civil rights. He denies the charges and claims that he used only the proper level of force. So far, there is no clear evidence that the assault was racially oriented. No racial slurs were heard and there is no indication that the alleged beating took place because Ms Zhao is Chinese. Although Ms Zhao did not resist arrest, she was unable to communicate with the officer in English to explain her identity and the reason for being on the bridge at 11pm. At the time, Rhodes was in the middle of arresting a suspected drug trafficker.
In this case, the public in China, together with overseas Chinese, should not vent their anger in the same way that virulent protests were held over the Nato bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999. While appropriate pressure on the US authorities is needed to resolve the matter, the public's approach seems anachronistic and illogical. Above all, it will not do anything to help Ms Zhao's lawsuit, which begins next month, to seek justice and compensation from the US.
The incident has also shed light on the constant diplomatic battle between Beijing and Washington. The Foreign Ministry rarely denounces in public the US government over a case involving one Chinese citizen. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing's prompt reaction led to a pledge by US Secretary of State Colin Powell to investigate the matter. This, in turn, resulted in an apology from US Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge.