As Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., Tibetan protesters gathered near the U.S. Capitol to ensure their concerns were heard.
Xi visited Washington from Sept. 23 to 25 for his first trip to the U.S. capital in more than a decade. As the two leaders met at the White House on Sept. 24, dozens of demonstrators marched near the Capitol, waving Tibetan flags and calling for religious freedom and an end to Chinese Communist Party rule.
Some protesters wore shirts reading “End the CCP,” while others carried black-and-white photographs of Xi with red X’s over his face. A large banner displayed at the demonstration accused the Chinese Communist Party of crimes against humanity.
The demonstration unfolded as Trump and Xi discussed some of the most consequential issues in U.S.-China relations, including trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and national security. CNN reported that the two countries had also extended their trade truce through January.
But Xi’s arrival in Washington drew contrasting reactions.
While Tibetan demonstrators protested near the Capitol, about 200 supporters of the Chinese president gathered outside the Waldorf Astoria, where Xi was staying. Supporters waved Chinese and American flags and chanted messages welcoming him to Washington.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott also weighed in on the U.S.-China relationship near the Capitol, criticizing China’s military buildup while acknowledging the need for continued diplomacy between Trump and Xi.
“Look at all the weapons that China’s building. They’re not building them because they’re our friend,” Scott said. “I understand that Trump has to be diplomatic.”
When asked whether Trump should be rolling out the red carpet for Xi, Scott said the president “is in a tough position” as the United States works to address its dependence on China for rare-earth minerals and other critical resources.
Xi’s visit included meetings with Trump at the White House and a state dinner Thursday night before his scheduled departure from the United States on Friday.
While the summit focused on the economic and national-security issues shaping relations between two of the world’s most powerful countries, protesters near the Capitol used Xi’s presence in Washington to draw attention to another part of that relationship — longstanding concerns over Tibet, religious freedom and Chinese Communist Party rule.
