My understanding was that all the discarded "gifts" were flown back to the US on a second aircraft. Presumably for serious evaluation and discovery of any hidden items by our intelligence services.
There were reportedly assorted subtle 'jabs' by the PRC against DJT while there, but the two most blatant were in the final minutes - reportedly first, Xi handed DJT a packet of rose seeds - which at least one correspondent of mine took as a jab at the 'wanton destruction of the Rose Garden,' - never mind that most rose seeds, except for wild roses, rarely grow 'true,' as they are F1 hybrids - and even if these were true F1 hybrid seeds, the rose bushes would need to be grafted on wild root stock to do well; and second, as AF1 was being buttoned up, the official PRC news agency, again reportedly, released an caricature of DJT as an orange balloon floating away, while Xi was poking at it with a needle.
So, in a more than small way, this "clean before you leave" maneuver, done as publicly as this one was, was a nice counter punch, even if not a stop punch!
My understanding was that all the discarded "gifts" were flown back to the US on a second aircraft. Presumably for serious evaluation and discovery of any hidden items by our intelligence services.
That's what I assumed would happen. I would be surprised if everything was actually thrown away for West Taiwan to investigate.
There were reportedly assorted subtle 'jabs' by the PRC against DJT while there, but the two most blatant were in the final minutes - reportedly first, Xi handed DJT a packet of rose seeds - which at least one correspondent of mine took as a jab at the 'wanton destruction of the Rose Garden,' - never mind that most rose seeds, except for wild roses, rarely grow 'true,' as they are F1 hybrids - and even if these were true F1 hybrid seeds, the rose bushes would need to be grafted on wild root stock to do well; and second, as AF1 was being buttoned up, the official PRC news agency, again reportedly, released an caricature of DJT as an orange balloon floating away, while Xi was poking at it with a needle.
So, in a more than small way, this "clean before you leave" maneuver, done as publicly as this one was, was a nice counter punch, even if not a stop punch!