European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, right, is shown the way by a Chinese official as he arrives at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016. “These are hard negotiations, ” Obama said, arguing that the skepticism was “understandable” given letdowns in the past.
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China agreed to steps toward reducing its politically volatile steel exports but avoided binding commitments, as leaders of major economies ended a summit with a crowded agenda that also included trade, the Koreas and Syria.
A tarmac tiff between United States and Chinese officials as President Barack Obama arrived in the city of Hangzhou prompted the posting – and prompt deleting – of an uncharacteristically sarcastic tweet by a USA spy agency.
Later at the West Lake State House where Obama and Xi met, White House aides, protocol officers and Secret Service agents argued heatedly for 15 minutes with Chinese officials over how many U.S. journalists would be allowed in.
The first confrontation occurred at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport when USA journalists travelling with Obama were ordered away from the president’s Air Force One by Chinese officials. A Chinese international-relations professor who advises the Chinese Foreign Ministry and who does not want his name used because of the sensitivity of the issue, blamed an over-eager Chinese security apparatus for declining to follow standard American protocol. Part of it is we also have a much bigger footprint than a lot of other countries.
“This is our airport”, the official said in English, pointing and speaking angrily with the aide.
Opening the Group of 20 meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping appealed Sunday for governments to resist pressure to raise trade barriers.
It appears that great firewall kicked into gear when Chinese Premier Xi Jingping made a slip-up during the G-20 summit.
Washington should “aim to find a compromise which would reflect the interests of both cooperating sides”, Putin said, adding that sometimes the United States leadership only considers its “own benefit”.
“Even Obama has had to mark some time in his diary to meet Putin, although the USA will look to play this down”.
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“Facing current risks and challenges in the world economy, we will continue to reinforce macro policy communication and coordination”, Xi said. Chinese officials unexpectedly limited reporters’ access to the president.
