Chinese press scuffles with U.S. media, Secret Service

Confrontations during the visit

Members of the Chinese press corps traveling with President Xi Jinping scuffled with U.S. journalists and Secret Service personnel at the White House on Thursday. The encounters took place as reporters moved to cover Xi’s state visit and competed for access around the day’s events.

Videos posted online captured several separate confrontations over the course of the day. In some footage, Chinese journalists argued with White House staff and Secret Service personnel. Other clashes involved U.S. journalists working alongside the visiting press corps. The recordings showed that the tension was not confined to a single exchange or one point in the visit.

Who was involved

The confrontations involved four groups working around the state visit: Chinese reporters accompanying Xi, U.S. journalists covering his appearance, White House staff and Secret Service personnel. The disputes unfolded while members of the press were scrambling to report on the Chinese president’s visit.

The videos documented arguments as well as physical scuffles involving members of the visiting press corps. They showed multiple points of conflict throughout Thursday rather than one continuous encounter. The incidents occurred around media coverage of the state visit; the confrontations described in the footage were among journalists, staff and security personnel.