The way I see this working is a state department functionary would arrive early and work out every detail of the president’s visit. He would have a schedule. Plane arrives at 11:00, rolls to reception area. Stairs are rolled up. Greeting ceremony by (fill-in-name.)
If there was a problem, this state department functionary should have alerted his contact on the plane. The plane would then circle while the issues were worked out. If the issues were not properly worked out a decision should be made. For a snub this obvious, I’d say the plane should not land. Instead, it should re-file a flight plan for Taiwan. Then see how fast the stairs get rolled out.
I think that at least half the problem is in the state department or the White House staff.
At the very least, a good state department guy would bribe the socks off some airport official and a set of stairs would roll out regardless.
Exactly correct. Either the president gets the correct reception or they either don’t land or they demand re-feuling and leave. This whole situation shows such weakness. The problem is that Obama wants this silly climate change accord so badly he’ll do whatever it takes to get it, even if that means slinking out of the belly of Air Force One. The Chinese had all the power and they knew it. In any negotiation the party that cares the least about the outcome has the power, Obama is desperate for his climate change legacy and the Chinese used the opportunity to make the POTUS look irrelevant to the world.
I don’t know whether to laugh or be pissed off..
I love seeing anyone snub Obama. He deserves it. But this does not reflect well on either country actually. I read another article about the security scuffle, and I have to admit the chinese guy is right, it’s their country, their airport, cooperate with their way of doing things, or negotiate an agreeable procedure. That is what should have been done in advance.
What do you want to bet they roll out the red carpet when Trump...ummmm President Trump...shows up? Or even before the election, I suspect he might try it. He can make arrangements in no time, as we have seen.
It’s no secret most of the world’s leaders have zero respect for Obama, I’m just surprised one of them actually showed it in such a public manner. I’d love to see a few more do the same...
It probably never crossed O’s little pea-brain or reached the heights of his narcissistic mountaintop that he might be snubbed.