U.S. and Chinese officials got into a scrap Saturday just before President Obama arrived on the scene to ratify the Paris climate deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The “heated” exchange took place ahead of the president’s arrival to the West Lake State House in Hangzhou, when a group of White House staffers and Secret Service were stopped at a security checkpoint for 15 minutes, according to a pool press report.
At issue was how many Americans were allowed through security at a time.
“The president is arriving here in an hour,” one White House staffer said “in exasperation,” according to the pool report.
The confrontation reportedly escalated when a Chinese official assisting the Americans yelled at the guards, and nearly came to blows with one of them. “You don’t push people. No one gave you the right to touch or push anyone around,” he yelled in Chinese at one of the guards.
A second Chinese official trying to help U.S. officials then stepped between the two who were arguing “looking like he was going to throw a punch,” according to the pool report.
“Calm down please. Calm down,” one White House official said to the arguing officials.
“Stop, please,” said a foreign ministry official in Chinese, adding, “There are reporters here.”
Once they passed security, the press pool reported that again there was a confrontation, this time over how many American journalists were allowed. Chinese officials said only 10 were permitted, while one White House staffer argued that the number should be 20. Two journalists were reportedly left outside.
Tensions between U.S. and Chinese officials were also evident at the airport in Hangzhou where the president landed Saturday.
Upon exited the plane, National Security Adviser Susan Rice was blocked from walking to the motorcade by a Chinese official after she crossed a media rope line. The same official later reportedly shouted at a White House press aide over where journalists were allowed to stand in order to record the president’s disembarking from the plane.
“This is our country. This is our airport,” the official said in English, according to a separate pool report.
