After pictures surfaced online showing the famous CCTV host Chai Jing holding a newborn baby at an airport, reports began to emerge that the anchor, sometimes referred to as ‘the Chinese liberals’ goddess’ gave birth to a daughter in October 2013 in the US.
Chai gained celebrity as a journalist for her investigative pieces covering the SARS outbreak, the Sichuan earthquake, and various coal mine accidents across the country. A speech she gave at the 2009 Beijing Journalists Association resonated with citizens who consider her an outspoken, ‘fearless and on-the-ground reporter’, and concluded: “A country is built upon individuals; she is constructed and determined by them. It is only if a country has people who…build but do not take advantage of the land.”
Her choice to give birth in the US has been seen by netizens as a contradiction to what she advocates—thus why some have taken to the web to call her out as being a “traitor” and a “hypocrite”, Offbeat China reports.
“I have no problem of her giving birth in the US. But she shouldn’t put on a show on TV as if she is a patriot and cares about this country or its people,” one netizen under the name 再见二丁目c7 commented.
User HI-曹焱焱 agreed: “If she is an ordinary mom, I won’t be so disgusted. But Chai’s been trying hard to establish herself as a patriot who cares about this country. If so, be a Chinese!”
“This shows the hypocrisy of liberals in China. Their credibility is declining. People are glowingly disappointed at these so-called liberals,” netizen 涛哥老吴 added.
While the news has triggered conversation surrounding China’s “naked officials”—corrupt officials who move their families overseas, usually the US, while still cashing in on China’s power—others have cited the case of Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who chose to have all three of his children in China and faced a fine of 7.48 million yuan as a result.
Netizens pointed out that many would do the same thing if given the opportunity. “After all, US has better environment, better healthcare, better education and better everything,” one user said.