"The one thing I will say is we don’t make apologies for pushing a little bit harder when it comes to press access, and that’s been the case from my very first state visit here," Obama said. | Getty Obama downplays tarmac altercation in China

President Barack Obama "wouldn't overcrank the significance" of the altercations between Chinese and White House officials over press access that greeted Air Force One on Saturday after it landed in Hangzhou, China, for the G20 summit.

At a news conference Sunday with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Obama said this is not the first time there have been issues with security and press access. The president said the U.S. provides access to the press pool that "other countries may not insist on."


"We don't leave our values and ideals behind when we take these trips," he said. "It can cause some friction. It's not the first time it's happened. It doesn't just happen in China; it happens in other countries where we travel."

After the arrival of Obama and White House officials, Chinese and White House officials had several disagreements, such as whether the press pool could be on the tarmac for the president's arrival.

Later that day, Chinese officials tried to limit the number to 10 American journalists for Obama's and Chinese President Xi Jinping's talks. Eventually, all members of the press were granted access.

Obama said at the news conference that the United States has "a much bigger footprint than a lot of other countries," adding the U.S. travels with a lot of planes, helicopters, cars and officials. He added it "may feel a little bit much" to a host country.

"The one thing I will say is we don’t make apologies for pushing a little bit harder when it comes to press access, and that’s been the case from my very first state visit here," Obama said. "And we don’t always get everything that we’d like to see, but we think it’s important for us to at least stand up for those values."