Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s meeting began on a cordial note, but it reportedly later descended into disorder.
Trump arrived in Beijing for a State Visit, his first trip of this kind in more than ten years.
Early on, the two leaders exchanged warm remarks, with Trump praising his counterpart.
“great leader.”
Across the visit, the pair are expected to hold high-stakes discussions on major flashpoints between the two countries, including Taiwan and the Middle East.
Yet the most dramatic moment was not said to involve Trump directly. Instead, reports suggest the tension flared between members of a camera crew inside a conference room.
At the same time, Xi was reported to have delivered a firm message to Trump on Taiwan.
‘issued a warning’
‘was the most important issue in China-US relations.’
Behind the scenes, the Mirror claims a camera was knocked to the floor in the conference room, with heated words exchanged shortly after.
A brief tussle was then alleged to have followed, as one person could be heard yelling:
“get the f*** out of here”.
Xi’s reported comments on Taiwan were framed less as a threat and more as a clear restatement of Beijing’s position, though the warning was still stark.
As quoted by The Guardian, Xi said:
“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
Trump, meanwhile, appeared keen to keep the temperature down in public, brushing off follow-up questions from reporters.
After a visit to the Temple of Heaven, the 79-year-old was asked about the private talks and offered a brief response.
‘great,’
He also signalled his regard for the host nation, describing China as a:
‘great country’.
However, he did not expand when questioned about whether Taiwan had come up in their discussions.
China maintains that Taiwan should be brought under its control, while Taiwan continues to operate with its own government and political system.
The United States has generally avoided taking an explicit side, while also not backing the idea of Beijing taking the island by force.
Trump’s State Visit is scheduled to conclude on Friday, May 15, following his arrival on May 13.
Despite the short itinerary, the president was welcomed with ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, where a military honour guard stood outside as the US national anthem played.