A joint press conference with President Obama and President Xi Jinping which took the White House weeks to plan didn’t go so well, ending with a Fox News reporter tweeting about the Chinese leader: He’s a “coward” for dodging questions.
Fox’s White House correspondent Ed Henry sent out the scathing tweet after Mr. Xi refused to answer a question from New York Times reporter Mark Landler — a question that was supposed to have been allowed, under previously forged White House-China press conference rules, The Hill reported.
Mr Xi dodged Mr. Landler and instead called on a member of Chinese media, The Hill reported.
Mr. Xi apparently had a change of heart and soon after addressed Mr. Landler’s question, which asked for clarification about Beijing’s blocking of visa renewals for American journalists.
But he did it by reading a response from a paper that was placed on his podium — leading many to wonder about the role of state-controlled Chinese media.
Either way, U.S. media members weren’t happy.
“I’ll just say it — regardless of blowback — President Xi is a coward for not answering the US press question,” Mr Henry tweeted. “What are you scared of, sir?”
White House officials, at the pressing of U.S. media officials, had spent weeks lobbying China to allow for a joint press conference of the two leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
China only agreed to the joint press session at the last minute, but then changed the ground rules — which would have allowed U.S. press members to query Mr. Xi — at the last minute.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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