BEIJING:
US Secret Service and Chinese security officials were involved in a scuffle over the “Nuclear Football” briefcase during President Donald Trump’s visit to China in November 2017, reports the news website Axios.
The briefcase contains the launch codes for the US nuclear arsenal and is carried by presidential aides at all times, including on foreign visits, allowing the US president to authorise nuclear strikes from anywhere in the world. The presidential aides were shadowing Mr Trump when they were reportedly prevented from entering the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said that “we’re moving in” and told the US officials to keep walking.
A US secret service agent tackled a Chinese security official to the ground after he tried to grab Kelly. A senior Chinese security official later apologised for the misunderstanding.
At no point did the Chinese held possession of or touched the briefcase.
The US Security Service responded via Twitter that “the Reports about Secret Service agents tackling a host nation official during the President’s trip to China in Nov 2017 are false.”
