Janet Yellen's bow to Chinese official in Beijing fails to wow Americans back home

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen opted for a traditional greeting as she met a top Chinese official during her visit to Beijing. On Saturday, the 76-year-old enthusiastically bowed thrice to China's Vice Premier He Lifeng, who decided to stand straight, rather awkwardly.

The gesture failed to sit right with Yellen's fellow Americans. While some called it unnecessary, others said that the gesture blatantly violated protocol. "Never, ever, ever…an American official does not bow. It looks like she’s been summoned to the principal’s office, and that’s exactly the optics the Chinese love," Former White House staffer Bradley Blakeman told the New York Post. 

"Who is the top and who is the bottom here? Power dynamics are a thing, whether you agree it should matter or not. It does," a user chimed in on Twitter. "Grandma disgraces the nation," a second user quipped. A third user added, "I'm surprised she didn't genuflect and kiss his ring!"

Yellen meets Chinese Vice Premier

Yellen and Lifeng later moved past the embarassing moment by posing together for pictures, smiling widely at the cameras. They then sat down for a meeting, during which the vice premier insinuated that the United States exhibits a rather irrational approach towards China.

"We wish the US side would take a rational and practical attitude, meet with the Chinese side half-way, make joint efforts with China in maintaining the consensus reached between the two state leaders in their meeting in Bali, and put the positive remarks into actions, so as to stabilize and improve the China-US relations," he said, according to Fox News. 

Responding to the official she bowed to, Yellen insisted that Washington makes certain decisions keeping national security in mind. She further added that differences between the two nations should not lead to misunderstandings that arise due to "ack of communication" as they can "unnecessarily worsen our bilateral economic and financial relationship."