CNN: Trump sparked discontent in Beijing over coverage of Xi Jinping visit

The failure of full-fledged media coverage of the first state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States in 11 years caused serious discontent of the Chinese delegation. CNN reports.

The reason for the scandal was the decision of US President Donald Trump to strip the accreditation of journalists CNN, MS NOW and Politico, accusing them of spreading “fake news”. In solidarity with colleagues, leading American broadcasters suspended work in the White House pool. Solemn events of the first day of the summit, which were conceived as a large-scale demonstration of diplomatic triumph, were held almost without video broadcasts.

The situation caused deep disappointment to the Chinese delegation, which hoped to use American television broadcasts to demonstrate Beijing’s international influence. Chinese Foreign Ministry adviser Wu Xinbo expressed regret that so few video footage reached the American public. “It could help improve the atmosphere in U.S.-China relations,” he said.

The US administration accused journalists of a “child boycott” and announced the interest of the audience in broadcasting in new media. At the same time, according to the channel, Mr. Trump himself in private conversations admitted dissatisfaction with the incident and expressed a desire to return the TV pool.

Xi Jinping’s trip to Washington was the first state visit by a Chinese leader to the United States in 11 years. The two leaders held formal talks at the White House and took part in the ceremonies.