US-China diplomacy: Spy agency tweet adds to protocol spat

The president had a distinctly low-key arrival at Hangzhou Xiaoshan international airport

A sarcastic tweet aimed at China and posted on the US Defense Intelligence Agency's Twitter account has fuelled a row over protocol at the G20 summit.

The tweet, which was quickly deleted, read: "Classy as always China". When President Barack Obama arrived in Hangzhou there was no red carpet and he had to leave by a different plane exit.

There was also a row on the tarmac when a Chinese official shouted "This is our country!" as reporters and US officials tried to bypass a cordon. President Obama called on reporters "not to over-crank the significance".

China has placed tight restrictions on foreign media coverage for much of the summit

However, a Twitter operative of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) - a secretive spy unit within the defence department that advises on intentions and capabilities of foreign nations and entities - appears to have made things worse, the Wall St Journal reported.


The "Classy as always China" tweet linked through to a New York Times article on the protocol incident, it said. The DIA felt compelled to issue a speedy apology, saying the posting did "not represent the views of the DIA. We apologize."


Mr Obama earlier insisted the quarrel had no bearing on broader Sino-US relations. He said that part of the reason for the tension on his arrival in China was because the US had a different attitude towards the press than other countries.

"We think it's important that the press have access to the work that we're doing, that they have the ability to ask questions," he said. "We don't leave our values and ideals behind when we take these trips. [But] it can cause some friction."