{
  "id": 9485142,
  "title": "Video of US military adjusting red carpet for China’s Xi sparks online backlash",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/video-of-us-military-adjusting-red-carpet-for-chinas-xi-sparks-online",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T04:23:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368596/video-us-military-adjusting-red-carpet-chinas-xi-sparks-online-backlash"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A video clip capturing US military personnel adjusting a red carpet for President Xi Jinping's arrival at Joint Base Andrews has gone viral online, sparking criticism on social media. The 12-second footage showed soldiers hurrying to smooth and clean the 30-meter carpet moments before Xi stepped off his plane. Chinese officials watched the operation from the aircraft doorway. Trump's welcome for Xi was unusually lavish, including military flyovers, honor guards, and a 21-gun salute. The clip drew criticism from some US users who called it degrading to service members and compared it to the treatment of other world leaders by Trump. Former Marine fighter pilot and Kentucky politician Amy McGrath criticized the use of service members as props in what she called an \"authoritarian ego-stroking spectacle.\" The episode highlights the differing approaches to diplomatic ceremonies between the two superpowers. China places great importance on protocol and \"face,\" meticulously preparing such events to the finest detail, while the US takes a more improvised approach. Analysts cautioned against overinterpreting the ceremonial polish, emphasizing that both countries retain formidable capabilities in their respective spheres.",
  "summary": "A video clip showing uniformed US military personnel on their hands and knees making last-minute adjustments to a red carpet has gone viral online, as President Donald Trump rolled out a lavish welcome for his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews. The 12-second clip, which circulated widely on US social media, captured several service members hurriedly smoothing and cleaning the…",
  "key_points": [
    "US military adjusts 30-meter red carpet for Xi Jinping's arrival",
    "Video sparks online backlash, criticized as degrading to service members",
    "Highlights differing diplomatic ceremony approaches between US and China"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The incident highlights a contrast in diplomatic ceremony approaches between the US and China, with the US appearing to take a more casual approach and China prioritizing precise protocol.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "Video of US military adjusting red carpet for China’s Xi sparks online backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/video-of-us-military-adjusting-red-carpet-for-chinas-xi-sparks-online-9485438",
        "published": "2026-09-24T04:23:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}