US-China trade talks draw criticism for lack of women in pictures

A photo of Trump administration officials resuming high-level trade talks Thursday with top Chinese negotiators in efforts to reach an agreement that could end the trade war between the two nations is drawing backlash on social media because of a lack of gender diversity in the room. 

{mosads}Kayla Tausche, a Washington correspondent for CNBC, was one of the first to point out the lack of women in the room on Thursday morning.

“There are only two women at the table for US-China trade talks. They are the interpreters,” Tausche said while referring to a photo of the trade negotiators in a tweet.

There are only two women at the table for US-China trade talks. They are the interpreters. pic.twitter.com/FKL2gUmEgP

— Kayla Tausche (@kaylatausche) February 21, 2019

“Disappointing. And unacceptable,” Mary Louise Kelly, who hosts NPR’s All Things Considered podcast, said in another tweet.

Disappointing. And unacceptable. https://t.co/eR933w0Pk8

— Mary Louise Kelly (@NPRKelly) February 21, 2019

Christina Reynolds, the vice president of communications at Emily’s List, a group that aims to elect pro-abortion rights Democratic women, simply replied to Tausche’s tweet with a “Sigh.”

Sigh. https://t.co/igf9L5JJs1

— Christina Reynolds (@creynoldsnc) February 21, 2019

 A number of other journalists and advocates also weighed in on the photo.  

Oh, the things we have normalized in the era of Trump: women’s representation has moved backwards by decades! And we’re so lost in the chaos and hopelessness, no one even bothers to agitate for change. https://t.co/VlQ8JqBiYi

— Amy Siskind ️‍ (@Amy_Siskind) February 21, 2019

Ah, 2019. https://t.co/bmHLzKHlNV

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) February 21, 2019

Was Ivanka not free? https://t.co/liKpJbY7pn

— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 21, 2019

Incredible. https://t.co/UgN3O9jFX3

— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) February 21, 2019

Ironically, the interpreters are the ones getting the most done. https://t.co/edEwOpNqST

— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) February 21, 2019

room full of men and the only ones responsible for communicating with each other are the women: https://t.co/8IiBQUhD59

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) February 21, 2019

Not quite what we mean when we say “a seat at the table” https://t.co/FeIUBBYQyK

— The Wing (@the_wing) February 21, 2019

Same thing when Trump and Xi met in December https://t.co/HAzub9RL1Y https://t.co/wI0JmXuJ5z

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) February 21, 2019

The Trump administration faced similar criticism for an apparent lack of diversity among staff members back in June 2018, after a photo of President Trump discussing migrant family separations at the U.S.–Mexico border with mostly white male lawmakers made the rounds on social media.

Social media users also took aim at the Trump administration for a lack of diversity among its interns in March 2018.