Behind the scenes of thehigh-stakes China summit,tensions are reportedly boiling over as the worldwatches the US and Chinese leaders closely.
PresidentTrumpandXi Jinpinghave held talks covering contentious issues including the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.
Trump declared in a toast at the state banquet that the US and China share a "deep sense of mutual respect", yet off-stage relations between the two nations appear to have continued deteriorating as the state visit presses on.
With a reported 'standoff' and a US staffer trampled by a swarm of Chinese journalists backstage, the trip has been labelled a "s***show".
The first incident unfolded on Thursday morning when a group of Chinese press reportedly forced their way into Trump's meeting with President Xi, knocking over and standing on a White House staffer.
As the aide was floored, American officials protested at the behaviour, though fortunately the staffer escaped without serious injury.
Members of Trump's Secret Service also reportedly clashed with Chinese officials after being barred from entering a historic Beijing temple, owing to one of the agents carrying a firearm.
A journalist described the "intense" standoff as taking place during Trump's first full day of the state visit, causing significant delays.
According to the White House press pool, the agent accompanying reporters was stopped by Chinese security and denied entry to the temple's compound because of his firearm.
A dispute between US and Chinese officials resulted in a delay to the press corps entering the temple complex, with journalists briefly detained while representatives from both nations engaged in a heated argument over whether they could continue.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
