ATrump-Xisummit in Beijing descended into brief chaos on Thursday when a scuffle broke out on live video as Donald Trump entered a vast meeting room to begin talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with a voice yelling 'get the f--k out' as a camera appeared to crash to the floor.
The apparent fight erupted just hours after Trump was given a full red-carpet treatment on arrival in the Chinese capital, complete with a ceremonial welcome and children waving flags as he greeted Xi.
The US president is in Beijing for high-stakes discussions with his Chinese counterpart, framed as an attempt to reset ties between the world's two largest economies, even as mutual suspicion over trade, technology and security still runs deep.
🚨 President Trump THANKS Xi Jinping for the INCREDIBLE welcome ceremony in Beijing"That was an honor like few have ever seen before.""The relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.""You and I have known each other now for a long time. In…pic.twitter.com/nvSPlb5nbE
The video clip, circulated from inside the venue, shows Trump walking into an enormous hall, flanked by officials, as the incident unfolds just out of clear view.
The camera angle suddenly lurches, voices rise, and someone can be heard shouting the expletive-laden command before the footage tumbles to the floor. It is not yet clear who was involved or what triggered the confrontation, and no official account of the scuffle has been provided. With no confirmation from either government, the precise circumstances remain unverified and should be treated with caution.
What is certain is that the jarring moment cut sharply across the carefully stage-managed optics surrounding the Trump-Xi encounter. Earlier in the day, Chinese state hospitality had been on full display. Trump walked a long red carpet to meet Xi, the two leaders exchanging stately handshakes as cameras rolled. Children lined up with flags, a familiar script of protocol and pageantry designed to project calm power and partnership.
Trump, never one to waste a handshake opportunity, offered Xi his trademark grip before moving down the line of senior Chinese officials. Xi did the same with top American delegates, including members of Trump's inner circle. The choreography was deliberate: this was meant to signal that the Trump-Xi summit still mattered, that both capitals could put on a united front when it suited their interests.
Conspicuously absent from the spectacle wasMelania Trump. The first lady did not appear alongside her husband at the Beijing events, with no immediate explanation offered in the coverage of the visit. Instead, Trump arrived with an unusually personal entourage. His son, Eric Trump, and daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, were in the delegation, a reminder that the President continues to fuse political theatre with family brand-building.
“We should be partners, not rivals," says Chinese President Xi Jinping to US President Donald Trump at a summit in Beijing.In his opening remarks, Trump touted his “fantastic relationship” with Xi, and said US business leaders were in the city to "pay respects" to Xi and China…pic.twitter.com/ui1DmGfXfK
Source: International Business Times UK
