Scribes kept away from Obama-Wen meeting

Scribes kept away from Obama-Wen meeting

Print journalists travelling with US President Barack Obama were kept away from his all-important meeting with the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Indonesia, prompting an verbal protest from the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA).

The meeting being scheduled at a short notice this morning gained importance in the wake of tension between the two nat ions after Obama pressed China to “play by the rules” in speeches and in a bilateral meeting last weekend with President Hu Jintao in Hawaii.

Only still photographers and television cameras were allowed into the US-China meeting.

“The WHCA has asked the White House to allow print poolers to be allowed into the pool spray. The White House has said it is still photographers and TV cameras only,” said the WHCA president Caren Bohan.

The White House defended its decision. “As is customary for brief meetings such as this one, we’ve arranged for still photographers to do a quick spray of the president and Premier Wen at the beginning of their meeting,” Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

“In an effort to provide additional access to the reporters who have traveled a great distance to cover the president, we’ve arranged to add a television photojournalist to participate as well,” he said.

According to pictures of the meeting shown to the White House pool reporter, Obama sat on a chair in a dark suit and tie and Wen was sitting on a chair on Obama’s right, also in a dark suit and tie.