Moment 'skirmish' breaks out between Trump's Secret Service and Chinese security during Beijing visit as tensions flare

By JON MICHAEL RAASCH, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 13:51, 14 May 2026 | Updated: 13:57, 14 May 2026 The US and Chinese delegations in Beijing have had some disagreements amid language barriers as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping look to smooth over the rocky US-China relationship. Tensions flared several times on Thursday as Trump and his team attended events hosted by the Chinese delegation. After Trump's welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People and a subsequent bilateral meeting behind closed doors, Chinese officials and US officials briefly clashed on a few occasions over security and protocol. As the US press cadre entered the Temple of Heaven complex after the bilateral meetings on Thursday afternoon, they were delayed by roughly a half hour as US and Chinese officials argued over whether a Secret Service agent accompanying the media was allowed to enter the temple compound with his firearm. 'What is it going to take to get us out of here,' one US official tells her Chinese counterparts, according to video of the incident from Reuters. 'If you were arriving with Xi, and we told you, you couldn't leave with him, that's the issue,' another US official says. Chinese officials can be heard discussing the request. 'Were in the motorcade with the President, do you not understand that?' a member of the press says. Donald Trump arrives alongside Secret Service agents during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China Tensions flared several times on Thursday as Trump and his team attended events hosted by the Chinese delegation Trump and China's President Xi Jinping walk with Lara Trump during their visit to the Temple of Heaven on May 14 Chinese officials argued over whether a Secret Service agent accompanying the media was allowed to enter the temple compound with his firearm China's President Xi Jinping looks at President Donald Trump as they attend a state banquet The Beijing officials could then be heard continuing to discuss among themselves as the US delegation stressed to them that they are meant to stick with Trump as he travels. Several US officials can be heard in the the video explaining to the Chinese officials that they are part of Trump's motorcade and must depart with the President.  Tensions and voices raised even further as US officials and press repeatedly told the Chinese that they 'need to go.' A compromise was eventually struck, and the US delegation was able to scurry to the motorcade to rejoin the President's transport. It was the second time in one day that a tense interaction broke out between the two delegations. In another incident before the bilateral meeting, a US official told a crowd of Chinese media that they needed to allow the White House press corps into the event for a spray before the closed-door session began. A compromise was eventually struck, and the US delegation was able to scurry to the motorcade to rejoin the President's transport Onlookers wait behind a barricade as a motorcade carrying President Donald Trump drives by The motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the Four Seasons Hotel on the way to the Great Hall of the People on May 14 Similarly, that abrasive interaction resulted in yelling and discontent. In 2018, on another Trump trip to Beijing, there was a skirmish over the 'nuclear football,' a briefcase with US nuclear launch codes and capabilities, when a Chinese official denied the military aide holding the bag into an event. Per protocol, the military aide is to stay close to the President at all times, and John Kelly, Trump's then Chief of Staff, told the aide to speed ahead. The incident was over in a flash, according to reports at the time. The US Secret Service prepared a behemoth effort to protect Trump on his state visit in Beijing following multiple assassination attempts on the President's life.  A senior airman chains presidential vehicles on a C-17 aircraft before a Trump trip in 2019  President Donald Trump exiting The Beast before boarding Air Force One As President Donald Trump readies for a high-profile state visit to China, his fleet of presidential vehicles, including 'The Beast' will travel with him  The agency has been haunted by close calls since Trump's election campaign - and just last month faced further scrutiny when a gunman shot an agent while targeting the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington. Security is complicated by the ongoing war with Iran, which shares close ties to China. Agents flew in a $1.5 million, 20,000-pound armored Cadillac loaded with eight-inch thick armor, tear gas cannons, night vision, a sealed oxygen supply, and Donald Trump's blood type on ice. And that's was just to transport him from the airport. Between White House aides, Cabinet members, Secret Service, State Department officials, military personnel and journalists, roughly 900 people from the US delegation are accompanying the President on his trip, according to the US-China Business Council.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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