Members of President Donald Trump’s Secret Service detail have reportedly clashed with Chinese officials after being refused access to a historic Beijing temple due to one of the agents carrying a firearm.
A member of the press reported that the “intense” confrontation took place on the opening full day of President Trump’s state visit with President Xi Jinping. Xi and Trump held discussions on trade disputes, tensions over Taiwan’s sovereignty, and, of course, the Iran war.
After concluding his meeting with Xi, the president remained tight-lipped about how the two hours and 15 minutes of talks had progressed. The president subsequently toured the 15th-century Temple of Heaven alongside the Chinese president.
It was at this point that the standoff unfolded. According to White House press pool, the agent escorting reporters was stopped by Chinese security and barred from entering the temple’s compound because of his firearm.
“The pool’s entry to the temple complex was delayed by nearly half an hour by a lengthy and increasingly intense discussion between US and Chinese officials, after Chinese security refused to allow a Secret Service agent accompanying the pool to enter the temple compound with his weapon,” AFP correspondent Danny Kemp reported.
He further noted that press officials were briefly held “while U.S. and Chinese officials who are keeping us in a side room have a spirited debate about whether we can move.”
He subsequently confirmed that a “compromise was eventually found.” However, no details surrounding the agreement were made public.
According to Kemp, members of the press were once again held back after Trump departed the temple. Kemp reported that the pool had endured “another brief delay while U.S. staff and reporters had an even more spirited discussion with Chinese officials, who several times tried to stop them from leaving and joining the (presidential) motorcade.”
The Daily Beast reported that several significant security measures were implemented throughout President Trump’s two-day visit. It was reported that approximately 30 flights in and out of Beijing Capital International Airport had been cancelled to facilitate the president’s arrival on Wednesday evening. Following the most recent assassination attempt on the president, all staff members at the Four Seasons – where the president is residing have been required to register their identities with the government.
Further security arrangements also included armed police officers, screening tents, and barricades positioned at the hotel. The New York Times reported that all hotels in the vicinity of the U.S. embassy – including the Four Seasons – show no available rooms on their websites for the duration of Trump’s visit.
Trump’s mysterious drink
The incident occurred before last night’s state dinner, when President Trump was observed toasting the Chinese president following a speech, then taking a sip of a bubbly liquid and grimacing before handing it to a server with a muttered, “Thank you.” It remains unclear what type of beverage was contained in the flute.
Trump’s toast has unsettled numerous social media users, with conspiracy theories spreading rapidly. One individual suggested that the Secret Service actually supplied the drink, and the person who took the glass after Trump’s sip was an agent.
Multiple people dismissed the conspiracy theorists and stated that the toast was a gesture of respect towards Xi. This latest incident follows Trump being filmed carrying out a startling act towards Melania at a wholly inappropriate moment.