Trump and Xi's meeting erupts into chaos as fight breaks out – 'get out of here'

Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping quickly erupted into chaos with a brawl erupting as the pair met. The two world leaders are holding crucial talks in Beijing where topics including Taiwan, trade and the Middle East will be on the table - but it did not get off to a good start. The astonishing incident unfolded as Trump entered a vast conference room to begin talks with Xi Jinping when there was a clash among members of a camera crew. A camera appeared to be knocked to the floor before a scuffle broke out, with someone audibly heard saying "get the f*** out of here". And then in the opening remarks by the leaders, Xi offered stark warnings about avoiding possible clashes between his nation and the US on Thursday, and even cautioned Trump that Washington’s handling of its relations with Taiwan could lead to “conflicts.” His tone was a sharp contrast to Trump, who opened the highly anticipated summit with Xi by praising his Chinese counterpart and declaring that “it’s an honour to be your friend.” It underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Taiwan — and suggested that Trump’s three-day visit to China is likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major bilateral breakthroughs. The pair met for about two hours behind closed doors at the Great Hall of the People and discussed trade and other issues. According to a readout posted on X by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations.” That statement came after a brief public exchange before the meeting began in which Trump offered platitudes, telling Xi: “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.” “It’s an honour to be with you. It’s an honour to be your friend,” Trump said before promising that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.” Xi was darker in his opening remarks, expressing hope that the US and China could avoid conflict and asking “whether the two countries can transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new model for relations between major powers”. He used a term popular in foreign policy studies, referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established power, the result is often war. “Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” Xi said. “The two countries should be partners rather than rivals.” Xi has mentioned “Thucydides Trap” before with regards to US-China relations, dating back to as early as 2014.