Washington:
US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing was reportedly marked by a series of tense and chaotic incidents involving reporters, security personnel and officials. One of the incidents happened when a White House staff member was knocked down by members of the Chinese press pack as journalists moved aggressively toward the area where Trump was holding a bilateral meeting with Xi, the New York Post reported.
The staffer was left bruised and shaken. The incident triggered strong protests from other members of the US advance team present on the spot.
🇨🇳🇺🇸 A woman was frantically blocking entry to the Trump-Xi meeting room, repeatedly yelling “White House only!”
Chaotic scenes outside one of the most high-stakes summits in years.pic.twitter.com/kGPjObJsN1 https://t.co/40d7Z4JRSu
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 14, 2026
Meanwhile, Chinese officials had imposed strict controls on the visiting press, including movement restrictions and limited access to basic facilities.
Reportedly, water bottles carried by journalists were also confiscated despite warm conditions in Beijing, where temperatures crossed 26°C and no alternative drinking water was provided.
According to the report, dust-ups with the Chinese caused frustrations on the American side, with one member of the US delegation overheard calling it a “s**t show.”
Video footage of several of the incidents was reportedly captured by a cameraman accompanying filmmaker Brett Ratner who is in China scouting locations ahead of work on a fourth installment of the “Rush Hour” franchise.
A separate confrontation later took place at the Temple of Heaven, where Chinese officials refused entry to a Secret Service agent assigned to the presidential press pool because he was carrying a firearm, standard procedure for US security personnel. The disagreement led to a prolonged standoff between both sides.
After nearly 30 minutes of arguments, a different agent was brought in to escort reporters inside, while the original agent remained outside. Trump and Xi arrived at the site later than scheduled after their bilateral meeting ran overtime.
Following their visit and photo session, American journalists were placed in a holding area, the report mentioned. When it was time for the presidential motorcade to depart, Chinese officials initially blocked reporters from rejoining the convoy, which led to another round of heated exchanges between both sides.
At one point, a White House official told Chinese counterparts that the US administration would not treat visiting officials in the same manner if roles were reversed.
Eventually, a staff member signalled the group to move, after which American reporters moved past restrictions and ran toward the waiting motorcade. Further attempts by Chinese officials to stop them were unsuccessful as the group crossed the temple grounds to reach the convoy.
Security remained tight throughout the visit, with surveillance cameras visible across Beijing, including on streetlights and intersections. US delegates and journalists were also instructed to use burner phones and temporary email addresses during the two-day summit.
