What REALLY happened with Obama's steps snub in China? The real reason the president disembarked Air Force One using the built-in hatch

  • Obama arrived in Hangzhou for the Group of 20 summit on Saturday
  • Chinese officials approved a rolling staircase provided by the US military, only to reverse their decision once Obama arrived, NYTimes reported
  • The Chinese offered their own stairway, but White House officials wanted an English-speaking driver who could understand security instructions
  • Obama used the built-in airstair reserved for landings in Afghanistan
  • A former ambassador to China said the incident was a deliberate snub 

Before Barack Obama even set foot in China on Saturday afternoon, tensions mounted over how the president would disembark his plane.

Obama, who arrived in Hangzhou for the Group of 20 summit, used Air Force One's built-in steps rather than the usual rolling staircase.

The departure from convention, often employed in countries like Afghanistan where security is an issue, was the result of miscommunication, the NYTimes reported. 

But a former ambassador to China told the Guardian: 'These things do not happen by mistake. It’s a snub. It’s a way of saying: "You know, you’re not that special to us."' 

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Before Obama even set foot in China on Saturday afternoon, tensions mounted over how the president would disembark his plane

Before Obama even set foot in China on Saturday afternoon, tensions mounted over how the president would disembark his plane

Pictured, Obama descending a red-carpeted rolling stairway in Beijing in November 2014

Pictured, Obama descending a red-carpeted rolling stairway in Beijing in November 2014

Chinese officials had approved a rolling staircase provided by the US military, only to reverse their decision once Obama arrived, a senior administration official told the Times.

White House officials were willing to use a stairway provided by the Chinese, but a request to send the equipment with an English-speaking driver instead of a local one was rejected.

A Chinese official told the South China Morning Post the US rejected a plan from the Chinese proposing they send a translator with the driver so they could understand security instructions.  

Chinese officials finally went back to square one and allowed Obama to use their own stairway, but by that time it was too late, according to the New York Times.

The US military typically flies in its own stairway on foreign trips, and the built-in hatch steps are reserved for high security situations.

Jorge Guajardo, the Mexico's former ambassador to China, insisted it was not a mistake, explaining: 'It’s part of the new Chinese arrogance. 

'It’s part of stirring up Chinese nationalism. It’s part of saying: "China stands up to the superpower."'

A Chinese official shouts at members of the White House press corp
The official was angry that the press and staff were too close to Obama

A Chinese official shouted at members of the White House press corp for being too close to the president and declared, 'This is our country!' when an aide protested

Bill Bishop, an expert on China who lived in the country for 10 years, agreed with Guajardo and told the Guardian: 'This clearly plays very much into the [idea]: |Look, we can make the American president go out of the ass of the plane."'

But many Chinese news outlets painted a different picture, pointing to the arrogance shown by the Americans in the situation. 

Regardless of the intentions behind the chaos, tensions were high on the tarmac as well after a Chinese official shouted at members of the White House press corp.

Reporters accompanying Obama on his trips are usually brought under the wing of the Boeing 747 to watch him disembark.

On Saturday, the reporters were corralled behind a blue rope installed by Chinese security, but one official deemed it was still 'too close' and yelled: 'This is our country!'. 

Even the US National Security Adviser Susan Rice was also told off before a Secret Service agent ushered her forward.

Even the Defense Intelligence Agency weighed in, writing 'Classy as always China' to its 83,000 followers before deleting the tweet

Even the Defense Intelligence Agency weighed in, writing 'Classy as always China' to its 83,000 followers before deleting the tweet

About four hours later, the DIA issued an apology and said the offending tweet was 'mistakenly posted'

About four hours later, the DIA issued an apology and said the offending tweet was 'mistakenly posted'

The president tried to smooth things over when he addressed the incident, saying: 'It can cause some friction. It's not the first time it has happened. It doesn't just happen in China.

'It happens in other countries where we travel. I think that this time, though, the seams were showing a little more.'

'We think it's important that the press have access to the work that we are doing, that they have the ability to answer questions. And we don't leave our ideals and values behind when we take those trips.' 

Even the American Defense Intelligence Agency weighed in, linking to a NYTimes article about the incident and tweeting: 'Classy as always China' to its 83,000 followers before it was deleted.

 

 

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