Obama: the Conservationist; 中國傲慢和氣氛“有毒”、中美官員停機坪吵架Plays Down Tension With China

Obama Plays Down Tension With China Over Plane’s Stairs
By MARK LANDLER 12:21 AM ET
China’s handling of the president’s arrival has created a narrative that the Chinese snubbed him. The reality, American officials say, is both simpler and more complicated.
~~~
BBC
中美官員停機坪吵架


在美國總統奧巴馬抵達中國杭州時發生中美兩國官員在停機坪上吵架事件之後，美國國防情報局（DIA）的「推特」帳戶上出現了一句批評中國的話，但是很快又被刪除。

據美國媒體報道，在奧巴馬為出席20國峰會抵達杭州時，中國沒有鋪紅地毯迎接他，他還不得不從飛機底層出口下飛機。

報道還說，當美國記者和官員試圖跨越一條封鎖線時，一名中國官員高喊，「這是我們的國家。」

美國國防情報局隨後通過自己的「推特」帳戶就《紐約時報》有關這一事件的報道發表了一句諷刺性的評論，「一貫的中國範兒。」（Classy as always China.）

但是，這個屬於美國國防部的秘密情報機構很快刪除了這句話，並且表示道歉。

道歉帖子說，「今天早些時候，有關一篇新聞報道的一則推文被錯誤地貼在了這個帳戶上。這則推文不代表美國國防情報局的觀點。我們對此表示道歉。」

美國總統奧巴馬就有關的吵架事件發表談話說，這不代表更廣泛的中美關係，他還要求記者們不必渲染其重要性。

他說，在他抵達中國時出現緊張的部分原因是，美國對待媒體的態度和其他國家不同。

「我們認為媒體應該能夠履行他們的工作，能夠問問題，這很重要。」

「我們不會在參加這類活動時把我們的價值觀和想法丟在一邊。（但）這會產生摩擦。」

陪同美國總統奧巴馬從夏威夷來到杭州峰會的美國記者說，中國保安人員不讓他們觀看總統從飛機肚皮底下下飛機。

他們還說，從飛機肚皮底下下飛機不同尋常，只在像阿富汗這樣的高度保安的地區採用，因為也沒有紅地毯迎接。

美國《紐約時報》記者蘭德爾說，「我們突然被一條藍帶子隔開，保安人員拉著。我報道白宮事務六年，從來沒見過外國主人不讓新聞媒體看奧巴馬下飛機。」

當一位美國白宮官員向一位中國安全官員指出這違反規定時，這名官員據報大喊，「這是我們的國家。」

但是，香港《南華早報》在星期日引述一位中國官員的話說，中國為每一位到達的國家領導人提供紅地毯歡迎，「但是美方拒絕了這樣的建議，而且堅持不需要機場提供的舷梯。」

據報道，雙方在奧巴馬和習近平舉行會談的西湖國賓館又發生了衝突。

據美國《紐約時報》報道，美方人員就有多少名美國人能夠在奧巴馬到達前進入會見地點的問題同中方發生爭執，一度幾乎令人擔心會發生肢體衝突。

奧巴馬說，在他到訪時，雙方就安全和媒體活動問題發生爭執，這已經不是第一次。

他說，但是這次的情況似乎更嚴重了一點。
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中國小鼻子小眼睛
德語媒體：中國傲慢和氣氛“有毒”

G20峰會閉幕當天，德國《日報》和瑞士《新蘇黎世報》將目光聚焦美國總統奧巴馬在中國的經歷，分析目前中美兩國的關係。

（德國之聲中文網）德國《日報》週一（9月5日）發表署名文章"中國的新傲慢（Chinas neue Arroganz）"。文章開頭指出，中國為飛抵杭州的各國政要都鋪了紅地毯，甚至連不屬於20國集團的國家或政府首腦嘉賓都受到這種待遇，唯獨美國總統奧巴馬是個例外。文章隨後提到美國國家安全顧問賴斯（Susan Rice）和機場安全官員之間的爭執。


"當記者問及機場風波時，奧巴馬雖然盡力不多加評論，鑑於白宮此次訪問中國的龐大代表團，這種事情'可能會引發緊張'，奧巴馬希望記者可以理解，但是不滿還是寫在了他的臉上。大多數美國媒體將這訪問的'不順開端'視作兩國關係惡化的表現。" 《日報》記者在從杭州發來的報導中繼續寫道："奧巴馬想在執政期結束前對中國展示友好的一面。他和中國國家主席習近平在G20峰會召開前一道正式加入《巴黎氣候協定》。奧巴馬想從中國發出的信號是：兩個最大氣候污染國準備在氣候保護領域攜手共進。"


文章接著指出："然而，（剛宣布加入協定不久）中國領導人就再次對美國總統發出嚴厲批評。奧巴馬請求中國在和鄰國有關南中國海的爭端中更加謹慎。中國外交部則回應道：美國無權在南海問題上指手畫腳，美國連《聯合國海洋法公約》都沒簽署。在北京看來，美國計劃在韓國部署美韓稱針對朝鮮的"薩德"反導系統（THAAD）也是針對中國的。"


(奧巴馬沒有走鋪了紅地毯的舷梯)


峰會上的變臉


瑞士《新蘇黎世報》當天也將目光投向G20峰會上顯現的中美關係，發表文章"被毒化的氣氛（Vergiftete Atmosphäre）"。文章開頭寫道："杭州舉行G20峰會前，中美兩國還在強顏歡笑。然而，在杭州，中國國家和黨領導人習近平和美國總統奧巴馬之間的緊張氛圍一目了然。據官方消息，兩人週六舉行雙邊會晤，兩人在人權現狀和南海爭端問題上存在分歧。"


《新蘇黎世報》也注意到奧巴馬沒有走鋪了紅地毯的舷梯和中美官員在機場的爭執中，中方安全官員強調："這是我們的國家，這是我們的機場"。


該報的記者從杭州發來文章指出："人們可能不會相信這是一個意外事件。因為在奧巴馬之前和之後飛抵杭州的國家和政府首腦都沒有遇到這種問題。鋪著紅毯的舷梯也一直都在現場就位。在機場對奧巴馬失禮的背後隱藏的用意可能是：給美國客人下馬威。 "

~~~NPR
G-20 Confrontation: U.S., China Have Tense Exchange On The Tarmac Ahead Of Summit

September 3, 20166:46 PM ET


BRAKKTON BOOKER

U.S. President Barack Obama disembarks from Air Force One upon his arrival at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China.

VCG via Getty Images

A chaotic and tense scene unfolded just after Air Force One touched down in Hangzhou, China, where U.S. and global leaders are gathered to discuss the world economy, promote growth and curb carbon emissions.

Obama's customary exit from the plane came not from the usual door high on the fuselage, but instead from a lower portal. It seems there were no higher stairs available to roll up to the usual door.

The incident seemed to be part of a tug-of-war between the country's advance teams, which flared further over who would have the final say about where the U.S. press could be stationed during Obama's movements within the country.

According to media pool reports, filed by correspondents traveling with the president, a confrontation between White House staff and a member of the Chinese delegation devolved into a shouting match over where reporters traveling with Obama could stand as he was exiting Air Force One.

As the pool report explains:

"Pool was brought under the wing of AF1 per usual but the scene was not per usual. There were no stairs to the top door to AF1, instead President Obama exited via the lower level stairs so pool could hardly see him, and only for a split second as he exited at 2:30 p.m. A member of the Chinese delegation was screaming at White House staff from the moment pool got onto the tarmac. He wanted the U.S. press to leave."

The Chinese, according to report, had set up a blue rope line under the wing of the plane. A Chinese official demanded the pool, which apparently was already in position behind the rope, to actually leave the arrival scene entirely.

And that's when an unnamed U.S. official stepped in.

"At one point a White House official told [the screaming Chinese official] this was our president and our plane and the press wasn't moving. The [Chinese official] yelled, 'this is our country.'

He yelled at another White House official and got testy with [U.S. National Security Adviser] Susan Rice and [Deputy National Security Adviser] Ben Rhodes, seeming to try to block them from walking closer to the arrival scene after they lifted the blue rope and walked to the other side of it, nearer to POTUS."

Luckily, that kerfuffle ended without much incident and the president's motorcade was moving within a few minutes.

Or perhaps, that was just the end of round one.

In a subsequent pool report, there were details of yet another verbal altercation, and a scene where two Chinese officials almost came to fisticuffs with one another. It took place at a security checkpoint at Westlake Statehouse, ahead of President Obama's arrival.

The report says American advance teams including White House staff, protocol officers and Secret Service agents, attempting to enter separately from the traveling press, engaged in "heated arguments" with Chinese officials for about 15 minutes.

"U.S. officials could be heard arguing in Chinese with Chinese security officials over how many Americans could be allowed to go through security at a time. How many people the White House were allowed to be in building before the president's arrival. Which U.S. officials were on which list in a folder with a thick pile of name lists.
"The president is arriving here in an hour," one White House staffer was overheard saying in exasperation.

"As the disagreement escalated, a Chinese official assisting the Americans grew angered by how guards were treating the white house staff and began yelling, nearly coming to blows with one of the Chinese security officials.

"You don't push people. No one gave you the right to touch or push anyone around," he yelled in Chinese at one of the Chinese security officials. Another Chinese official trying to help U.S. officials stepped between the two who were arguing once the security official began approaching, looking like he was going to throw a punch.

"Calm down please. Calm down," pleaded a White House official.
"Stop, please," said a foreign ministry official in chinese. "There are reporters here."

Despite the turbulence, Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, managed to announce that both nations will formally commit to the declarations of last year's Paris climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gases.

~~~~~~
The New Yorker


Barack Obama has put more natural acreage under protection than any other President, and has been dubbed the "21st-century Theodore Roosevelt" by the historian Douglas Brinkley.


















Obama the Conservationist


Despite Congress’s opposition, he has put more acreage under protection than any other President.


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