The image of President Barack Obama walking, as one commentator put it, “out of the ass of Air Force One”, instead of down a red-carpeted staircase will definitely be what many people remember about this year’s G20 meeting in China.
The details of why the staircase was withheld are beside the point. The symbolism of the US president stepping down the short metal stairs while every other visiting state leader descended a tall carpeted walkway was undeniable.
The contrast was further highlighted when a Chinese official was caught on film yelling at White House staff: “This is our country, this is our airport,” as he tried to stop US journalists from covering the arrival of their president.