Bret Baier’s Fox News crew was slapped with a ticket after cameras in Beijing caught them parked illegally while filming a segment about China’s mass surveillance in the middle of a busy bike lane.
Baier’s traffic-stopping Special Report segment on Wednesday came at the start of President Donald Trump’s three-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping,
During the segment, the Fox News anchor noted “there are cameras literally everywhere in Beijing,” before admitting his crew had briefly parked illegally and was immediately issued a ticket.
“Our driver parked illegally for two minutes and he got a message on his phone that he got a ticket for about 40 bucks U.S., because they saw it on the camera,” an astonished Baier told the camera.
While the Fox host complained about his crew’s experience with Chinese law enforcement, locals filmed Baier as he and his team filmed in the middle of a bustling bike lane.
Clips of Baier and his crew filming in the middle of traffic were shared to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and on X by Chinese journalist Li Jingjing of CGTN, the English-language news channel of state-run China Global Television Network.
“While Fox News is complaining they got a ticket for illegal parking…this is what his team is doing: Beijing residents spotted this and uploaded it to Douyin: Fox News’ Bret Baier filming IN THE MIDDLE of busy traffic,” Jingjing wrote along with the clip, which had been viewed over a million times.
Baier’s commentary about China’s state surveillance drew some mockery, but his apparent lack of regard for following traffic rules drew fierce backlash.
One X user noted under the clip, “When you’re a guest in another country, you don’t get to ignore the rules and then criticize how things are run.”
“Fox News complains about a parking ticket while their reporter films in the middle of busy traffic in Beijing. Rules for thee, not for me. The arrogance follows them everywhere,” one X user wrote.
“Nothing demonstrates a greater lack of respect for a host country than this,” another X user added.
The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment.
Fox News making headlines in Beijing comes as Trump meets with Xi, the Chinese president. The two leaders had meetings on Thursday about tensions over Taiwan, the war in Iran and trade relations, according to the White House.
Trump hailed the “special relationship” between the U.S. and China and said he had “extremely positive and productive talks” with Xi while speaking in the Great Hall of the People’s banquet hall on Thursday.
The U.S. president invited the Chinese leader and his wife to Washington for a September 24 state visit.
Xi’s upcoming trip to Washington will make him the second world leader Trump has hosted for a state visit this year, following King Charles III’s visit last month.
It will also be the Chinese leader’s first visit to the White House in more than a decade, after visiting 11 years earlier when Barack Obama was president.
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