The Chinese press corps accompanying President Xi Jinping on his state visit to Washington found itself in repeated confrontations with U.S. journalists and Secret Service personnel at the White House on Thursday, as both sides jostled for position during the day's tightly choreographed events.
Videos posted to social media captured several tense exchanges, including Chinese reporters arguing with White House staff and Secret Service agents over where they could stand during Xi's arrival ceremony and the military review in the Rose Garden. One clip showed a crush of journalists competing for space ahead of Xi's arrival, with an American reporter audibly complaining, “You’re stepping on my feet.”
Another dispute broke out on the South Lawn over the positioning of U.S. outlets versus Chinese state media. Washington Examiner White House correspondent Christian Datoc said Secret Service and White House officials threatened to remove a Chinese official who was interfering with official camera positions. Video from the scene showed agents attempting to move members of the Chinese press as voices were raised.
Tensions escalated inside the White House, where a Chinese photographer reportedly shoved a female American reporter in a packed briefing room as journalists rushed to cover Trump and Xi's Oval Office meeting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also reportedly reacted to a disruption caused by the Chinese press corps in the Grand Foyer, according to Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, who described the visiting press as “incredibly loud and aggressive.” Trump, for his part, joked that China had the friendliest press corps.
The scuffles unfolded amid an already chaotic day for the White House press corps. Major television networks—ABC, CBS News, NBC News, and Fox News—were present but continued to withhold their participation in the television pool until they received confirmation that CNN, MSNBC, and Politico had regained access to the complex. Those three outlets had been barred by Trump last week, but a federal judge ordered the White House to restore their access, which happened around midday Thursday. Still, some CNN and MSNBC reporters were blocked from covering the state dinner for Xi that evening.
The incident adds to the tensions over press access during the visit, which also saw Trump accuse CNN and MSNBC of skipping coverage. The White House has defended its handling of the press corps, but critics see the clashes as symptomatic of a broader breakdown in relations between the administration and the media, particularly as the president has sought to limit access for outlets he views as hostile.
Thursday's events also highlighted the delicate diplomacy of hosting a foreign leader amid such friction. The state dinner, which featured a menu blending American and Chinese flavors, was meant to showcase bilateral ties, but the press scuffles and the ongoing pool boycott have cast a shadow over the proceedings. The menu itself became a minor talking point, though the more pressing issue remained the administration's fraught relationship with the media.
As the visit concluded with a tour of the National Archives and lingering disputes over artificial intelligence, the day's confrontations underscored the challenges of managing a high-profile state visit in an era of heightened press scrutiny and political polarization. For the White House press corps, the episode was a reminder of the fragile norms that govern access and decorum—norms that have been increasingly tested under the current administration.
