Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping arrived in the United States capital Washington on Wednesday evening, kicking off a three-day state visit.
According to videos shared by witnesses on social media, large groups of protesters gathered in front of the hotel where Xi Jinping was staying in the afternoon and evening as well as along the route to the hotel. They displayed banners and slogans demanding democracy and opposing the Communist Party, with chants of “Down with the Communist Party! Down with Xi Jinping!” echoing in the air.
Xi Jinping’s accommodation during this visit is at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Around the hotel where the Chinese delegation is staying, security has been noticeably strengthened.
The vicinity of the hotel has been surrounded by tall black fences, and both people and vehicles entering and exiting are subject to security checks, with police officers armed with loaded guns on duty. Nearby streets have also been closed off.
Police have separated the protesting and welcoming crowds into different areas to prevent clashes.
Some witnesses noted that compared to previous visits, there were significantly fewer organized Chinese people welcoming Xi Jinping to the United States, possibly due to recent actions taken by the U.S. government to crackdown on Communist Party agents.
In contrast, the voices of the protesting crowd were loud and clear, continuously shouting chants of “Down with the Communist Party! Down with Xi Jinping!”
One witness commented on social media, saying: “Some protesters couldn’t contain their outrage and told those welcoming Xi: ‘Supporting a dictator is very shameful!'”