Global Courant
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made an unusual gesture on Saturday as she bowed to a Chinese official during her visit to Beijing.
Footage shows Yellen approaching Deputy Prime Minister He Lifeng – her Chinese counterpart – and bowing several times as he enthusiastically shakes his hand.
Former White House staffer Bradley Blakeman, who served during President George W. Bush’s administration, told the New York Post that the gesture was inappropriate.
“Never, never, ever…an American official doesn’t bow. She seems to have been summoned to the director’s office, which is exactly the look the Chinese like,” Blakeman said.
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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen bows to Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (Pedro PARDO/POOL/AFP)
Some Twitter users shared the same sentiment, calling the arc an embarrassment to the United States.
She didn’t realize that bowing like a US official was a breach of protocol. author Max Murray wrote on Twitter. ‘They don’t answer. He even backs away to give her more room to kowtow.’
“Yellen’s flubs in China won’t help the US stock market Monday morning. Come home Janet!” “Taxifornia” author James V. Lacy wrote on Twitter.
During their meeting, he suggested that the US was an irrational actor towards China.
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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen prepares to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (Mark Schiefelbein/SWIMMING POOL/AFP)
“We would like the American side to adopt a rational and practical attitude, meet the Chinese side halfway, make concerted efforts with China to maintain the consensus between the two state leaders during their meeting in Bali, and translate the positive comments into actions to stabilize and improve relations between China and the US,” he said.
Yellen gently pushed back, defending the United States’ actions to defend national security.
“The United States will take targeted measures to protect our national security,” Yellen said. “While we may disagree on these actions, we should not allow that disagreement to lead to misunderstandings, particularly those arising from the lack of communication, which could unnecessarily worsen our bilateral economic and financial relationship.”
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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (Mark Schiefelbein/SWIMMING POOL/AFP)
Fox News Digital has contacted the Treasury Department for a statement, but has not heard back.
