If one image lingers from Chinese President Hu Jintao's recent trip to the United States, it is that of 47-year-old Dr. Wang Wenyi, a Chinese-born U.S. resident and member of the suppressed Falun Gong spiritual movement, shrieking at the visiting leader during his appearance with President George W. Bush on the White House lawn.
It was a fascinating incident, rife with revealing detail. Among the things it revealed: While China's position on free speech is crystal-clear -- the BBC reported that in Beijing, television video of the event cut to black when Dr. Wang began her tirade -- many in the West have yet to figure out where they stand. At the very least, that puts the cause of free speech at an enormous disadvantage in attempts to press China on it and other human rights issues.
That ambivalence was reflected in every aspect of the White House incident. Just consider the Americans' torn response once the heckling began. On the one hand, there was Mr. Bush, the very picture of the embarrassed host, moving quickly to reassure his angry guest. On the other hand, there was the Secret Service's strange delay in silencing the woman.