PhotoHANGZHOU, China — White House officials expect sharp words and the occasional elbow when an American president travels to China. But the reception that President Obama and his staff got when they arrived here Saturday afternoon was bruising, even by Chinese standards. When Air Force One rolled to a stop, there was no staircase for Mr. Obama to disembark in view of the television cameras. White House aides, protocol officers and Secret Service agents were stopped at a security checkpoint, according to a pool report. “Calm down, please,” a White House official said.

Source: New York Times September 03, 2016 14:53 UTC