President’s trip to bumpy start off

Airport tensions out in the open

HANGZHOU, China — If President Barack Obama was hoping for a graceful start to his final trip to Asia as commander in chief, this wasn’t it.

A confrontation between a White House aide and a Chinese official and other diplomatic dustups were out in the open from the moment Air Force One landed inHangzhou, site of the Group of 20 economic summit.

The first sign of trouble: There was no staircase for Obama to exit the plane and descend on the red carpet. Obama used an alternative exit.

On the tarmac, a quarrel broke out between a presidential aide and a Chinese official who demanded the journalists traveling with Obama be prohibited from getting anywhere near him. It was a breach of the tradition observed whenever U.S. president arrives in a foreign place.

When the White House official insisted theU.S. would set the rules for its own leader, her Chinese counterpart shot back.

“This is our country! This is our airport!” the Chinese official yelled.

Also, a Chinese official tried to keep Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, away from her boss.

Rice seemed less than amused by the incident when asked about it by a reporter.

“They did things weren’t anticipated,” said.

Later, two Chinese officials — one working to assist the U.S. delegation — had to be physically separated after trying to hit each other outside an event. Rice the that she