Just as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping were preparing to begin important talks, a commotion reportedly broke out among members of the media gathered in the room — including someone shouting an expletive.
Trump recently arrived in Beijing for a State Visit, his first trip to China in nearly ten years.
He and President Xi began the meeting with polite remarks, with Trump calling the Chinese president a “great leader.”
The two leaders are expected to hold major discussions on sensitive issues, including Taiwan and the Middle East.
But right before the serious talks began, two members of a camera crew inside the conference room nearly stole attention from the meeting.
Trump is visiting China for the first time in more than a decade.
According to reports, a camera was knocked to the floor inside the conference room. Moments later, a brief scuffle allegedly broke out, and someone was heard shouting, “Get the f**k out of here.”
Fortunately, the tension did not appear to involve Trump or Xi directly. However, the U.S. president was reportedly warned that the Taiwan issue remains “the most important” matter in China-U.S. relations.
According to The Guardian, Xi warned that if the Taiwan question is handled properly, relations between the two countries could remain stable. But if it is mishandled, he said, the two nations could face clashes or even conflict, putting the broader relationship at serious risk.
Trump appeared eager to avoid escalating the issue. When a reporter later pressed him on the subject, he did not respond directly.
After touring the Temple of Heaven, the 79-year-old president was asked how the earlier closed-door talks had gone. He replied that they were “great” and described China as a “great country.”
However, in an unusual moment of restraint, Trump stayed quiet when asked whether Taiwan had been discussed.
A brief disturbance was reportedly caused by camera crew members during the event.
Xi has long pushed for Taiwan to be reunified with mainland China, although Taiwan currently operates with its own government.
Trump’s State Visit to China is scheduled to end on Friday, May 15.