Irony of America's finger-pointing at China

BEIJING - The practice of finger-pointing is always tainted with a touch of irony. When you point the index finger at someone, inevitably you have three fingers pointing right back at yourself.

So when America's top diplomat for East Asia Daniel Russel expressed on Wednesday concerns about China's internal affairs, he was apparently not aware of the bitter irony.

In an US Senate hearing on Wednesday, Russel said the United States has been urging China to exercise restraint and flexibility and to allow the voices of the people of Hong Kong to be heard, questioning China's commitment to the "one country, two systems" model.

Amid persisting and widespread protests in its own soil triggered by the non-indictments of two white police officers' killings of two unarmed African Americans, the US real intention of such groundless accusation of China affords for thought.

To start with, the accusation was not really questioning China's commitment to the model but challenging its endeavor to maintain stability and prosperity.

China has always strictly observed its commitment to this unique model of historic importance since Deng Xiaoping, then leader of China, put forward the idea in the early 1980s for reunification.

By enjoying a high degree of autonomy, Hong Kong and Macao, the twin special administrative regions, benefit both economically and politically from their closer relations with the Chinese mainland.

"A stable and prosperous China is not only in China's interests but also in the interests of all," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday, a statement reiterated by the Chinese government.

Secondly, Russel's criticism came exactly at a time when the ugly scab covering America's deep-rooted racial chasm is being torn off relentlessly.

A New York City grand jury decided on Wednesday not to indict white officer Daniel Pantaleo, who killed unarmed middle-aged black peddler Eric Garner during an arrest in July.

The verdict, the second denial of trial which involved excessive use of police force by grand juries in two different states in less than two weeks, came when the clangor of protests from angry demonstrators in the case of Ferguson shooting still lingers on.

Almost each recent public opinion poll suggested that the Americans believe the justice system of the United States lacks justice. In a September poll by Public Religion Research Institute, 84 percent of black interviewees believed they did not receive fair treatment as the whites in the criminal-justice system.

In terms of economic equity, a revealing study by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy found that equal achievements can yield unequal wealth rewards for whites and African-Americans.

After examining America's staggering racial disparity, one cannot help wondering whether the US accusation of the Chinese government this time was another political tactic of shunning criticism at itself. No one would be surprised if the assumption is true.