Hangzhou (China) (AFP) - The US and China have different values when it comes to media freedom, President Barack Obama said Sunday, playing down an airport dispute over his arrival that spiralled into suggestions of snubs and insults.
A Chinese official who wanted US reporters travelling with the president to move shouted at a White House staffer: "This is our country! This is our airport!"
Chinese government minders confronted National Security Advisor Susan Rice when she moved closer to Obama as he walked from Air Force One after landing in the Chinese city of Hangzhou for a G20 summit.
And when US security personnel decided Obama should leave the plane using its built-in staircase, he was left stepping onto the tarmac rather than a red carpet, prompting speculation of a snub.
But the US leader said the tensions were the result of different approaches to the media, as well as the sheer scale of the US operation when he travels.
Washington stands up for press freedom and human rights and -- whatever the fallout -- does not "leave our values and ideals behind when we take these trips", he said.
"It can cause some friction. The seams are showing a little more than usual in terms of some of the negotiations and jostling that takes place behind the scenes," Obama told reporters on Sunday.
"Part of it is we also have a much bigger footprint than a lot of other countries. And we've got a lot of planes, a lot of helicopters, a lot of cars, a lot of guys. You know, if you're a host country, sometimes it may feel a little bit much."
- 'No good to be rude' -
US sources told AFP that the staircase incident stemmed from their own decision to use Air Force One's own staircase, rather than the one proffered by airport authorities.
The South China Morning Post newspaper also quoted a Chinese foreign ministry official as saying: "US side complained that the driver doesn’t speak English and can’t understand security instructions... and insisted that they didn’t need the staircase."
"It would do China no good in treating Obama rudely," he added.
Both Xi and Obama are eager to smooth over their differences and find common ground as the American leader approaches the end of his term and looks to cement his legacy, and his Chinese counterpart seeks a greater role on the world's diplomatic stage.
Obama said it was not the first time Washington's differences with Beijing had erupted during a visit, and that clashing values were also on display in his discussions with Xi.
"And so I wouldn't over-crank the significance of it," he said.
"We think it's important that the press have access to the work that we're doing. That they have the ability to answer questions," he said.
Kerfuffles over press access are common in China, where the ruling Communist Party sees the media more as a tool for forwarding its political agenda than an independent check on governance.
The country tightly controls domestic journalism, regularly censoring reporting on issues it deems sensitive or unflattering.
Its approach is particularly apparent in Hangzhou, where a suffocating security presence is designed to avoid any disruption to an event China sees as an opportunity to display its global leadership credentials.
Bumpy beginning for Obama in China, starting on the tarmac
JOSH LEDERMAN,Associated Press 13 hours ago
HANGZHOU, China (AP) — If President Barack Obama was hoping for a graceful start to his final trip to Asia as commander in chief, this wasn't it.
Confrontations between Chinese officials and White House staff and other diplomatic dust-ups were out in the open from the moment Air Force One landed in Hangzhou, where world leaders were attending an economic summit.
The first sign of trouble: There was no staircase for Obama to exit the plane and descend on the red carpet. Obama used an alternative exit.
On the tarmac, a quarrel broke out between a presidential aide and a Chinese official who demanded the journalists traveling with Obama be prohibited from getting anywhere near him. It was a breach of the tradition observed whenever the American president arrives in a foreign place.
When the White House official insisted the U.S. would set the rules for its own leader, her Chinese counterpart shot back.
"This is our country! This is our airport!" the Chinese official yelled.
The dispute escalated when a Chinese official tried to keep Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser, away from her boss. Rice, one of the highest-ranking officials in U.S. government, seemed less than amused when asked about it by a reporter.
"They did things that weren't anticipated," she said.
Obama, reflecting later on the squabbling, said it wasn't the first time it had happened. But he acknowledged hosting huge summits like the Group of 20 can be overwhelming and said the issue isn't limited to China.
"We don't leave our values and our ideals behind when we take these trips," Obama said. "It can cause some friction."
Tense exchanges continued after Obama started his program of meetings in Hangzhou. An Associated Press reporter was denied entry to a climate change ceremony because a credential list used a common nickname, though he was eventually allowed in after the U.S. Embassy intervened. Two Chinese officials — one working to assist the American delegation — had to be physically separated after trying to hit each other outside an event.
Brusque interactions and last-minute disagreements about protocol are not uncommon when the U.S. leader visits China, where there's an expectation that government ground rules be followed without question, no matter how rigid. Despite public protestations, the U.S. has had little success persuading China that it's in its interest to be more tolerant of scrutiny by the public or the press.
"We don't make apologies for pushing a little bit harder when it comes to press access," Obama said.
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President Obama says he wants to keep a strong economic relationship with
the U.K. post-Brexit. Listen to the president's comments from the G20 summit
in the video player above. ...
