Editor’s note for Friday, March 19, 2021

My thoughts today:

What can you do about anti-Asian racism? NüVoices — the collective behind the NüVoices podcast — has put together a list of resources to fight anti-East and Southeast Asian racism.

Before yesterday’s meeting between senior American and P.R.C. officials began in Alaska, I wrote that I would “be happy if no one is bleeding when the whole thing is over.”

Well, there was no actual blood that we know of, but “insults [did] fly” per CNN, in what NBC described as a “public spat.” For a full breakdown of the mayhem, please see today’s top story.

Our word of the day is not qualified (没资格 méi zīgé) but is sometimes better translated as “has no damn business” doing something.

Near the end of an hour of combative public remarks between Chinese and U.S. officials, top foreign policy official (and longtime “hidden liaison between the Bushes and the Chinese leadership,” according to James Mann, writing in December 2000) Yáng Jiéchí 杨洁篪 said:

美国没资格居高临下同中国说话。

The United States has no business lecturing China as if it were superior.

The comment is now a trending hashtag on Weibo with 400 million views.

—Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-in-Chief