Barack Obama arrives on Air Force One at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province on Sept. 3 for the G20 summit. | AP Photo Tarmac altercation, press dispute mar opening of Obama's trip to China

President Barack Obama's trip to China for the G20 summit Saturday opened with an unusual tarmac altercation involving Chinese and U.S. officials, including national security adviser Susan Rice.

After Air Force One landed in Hangzhou, a Chinese official began shouting at White House staff after the traveling American press contingent was brought onto the tarmac, according to pool reports.


The Chinese official also attempted to block Rice and Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes after they lifted a blue rope holding back press and walked to the other side of it, closer to Obama.

The press pool was brought under a wing of Air Force One where the pool was supposed to stay behind a blue rope. However, a member of the Chinese delegation began shouting at White House staff, demanding the pool leave the arrival scene.

A White House official said Obama was our president and Air Force One was our plane and that the press was not going to move from the designated area. The Chinese official responded, "This is our country."

When asked later what happened at the airport, Rice said, "They did things that weren't anticipated."

Disagreements between Chinese and American officials did not just stay on the tarmac.

At Westlake Statehouse, where the summit was being held, a group of White House staff arriving before Obama was stopped at a security checkpoint.

A heated argument between Chinese officials and White House staff, protocol officers and Secret Service, who were trying to enter the building separately from the press, broke out at the security gate.

According to the pool report, U.S. officials could be heard arguing in Chinese with Chinese officials over how many Americans could go through security at one time, how many White House officials were allowed to be in the building before Obama's arrival, and which U.S. officials were on a security list.

"The president is arriving here in an hour," a White House staffer was overheard saying in exasperation.

A Chinese official assisting the U.S. officials became angered by how the guards were treating the White House staff as the disagreement escalated.

"You don't push people. No one gave you the right to touch or push anyone around," he yelled in Chinese at one of the Chinese security officials.

Another Chinese official trying to help White House staff stepped between the two men arguing, as the security official looked like he was going to throw a punch, according to the pool report.

"Calm down, please. Calm down," a White House official said.

"Stop, please," said a foreign ministry official in Chinese. "There are reporters here."

Another disagreement occurred when officials and press finally made it inside the building. Chinese officials told White House press officers that only 10 American journalists were allowed in.

"That's not right," a White House press official said.

Two U.S. journalists were left outside and were not allowed to stand in the room, despite White House press officials insisting there was space.

"There's space. They are print reporters. They would just be just standing," one White House press officer said. The two reporters were eventually granted access.

Some three-and-a-half hours after Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping began their bilateral talks, the two leaders were expected to end their talk with a nighttime stroll through the diplomatic compound on West Lake to Obama's motorcade, with a cadre of reporters in tow.

Chinese officials, however, cut the number of journalists covering the stroll from the original six to three journalists, and then to one. A Chinese official told a White House press official, "That is our arrangement."

"But your arrangement keeps changing," a White House official responded.

After negotiations, two members of the White House press corps were allowed to cover the walk.