Bumpy Beginning for Obama in China, Starting on the Tarmac

Bumpy Beginning for Obama in China, Starting on the Tarmac
President Barack Obama arrives on Air Force One at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province, on Sept. 3. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
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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.

Confrontations between Chinese officials and White House staff and other diplomatic dust-ups were out in the open from the moment Air Force One landed in Hangzhou, where world leaders were attending an 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.