At a California fundraiser, US President Joe Biden has branded Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator.
Biden’s comments came just a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a dialogue with Xi in Beijing, a meeting designed to alleviate strained relations between the two global powers.
The US President also claimed Xi was embarrassed when the US allegedly intercepted and shot down a Chinese spy balloon.
China has strongly condemned Biden’s statements.
Biden shared at the event, “Xi Jinping was highly upset when we intercepted that balloon, packed with two boxcars’ worth of surveillance gear because he was unaware of its existence.”
He further added, “This is a tremendous embarrassment for dictators. When they’re in the dark about what’s happening.”
According to China, the balloon allegedly monitoring meteorological conditions had drifted over the continental US and was intercepted by US military aircraft in February.
Later, the US maintained it was part of an extensive Chinese intelligence-gathering operation. Due to the occurrence, Blinken, who was scheduled to visit Beijing then, had to postpone the trip.
Mao Ning, the spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, labelled Biden’s comments as “highly ridiculous and reckless” during a scheduled press briefing on Wednesday. She described his statements as a blatant political provocation, breaching diplomatic decorum.
Blinken’s recent trip, marking the first visit by a US secretary of state in nearly half a decade, marked the resumption of high-level US-China communications.
While Xi acknowledged some advancement in the Beijing talks, Blinken suggested the possibility of further discussions. However, considerable discrepancies persist between the two nations.
In the aftermath of a trade war instigated during Trump’s administration, Beijing’s aggressive stance over Taiwan, and the shooting down of the supposed spy balloon, bilateral relations have significantly deteriorated.
As the world watches, the future of US-China relations remains uncertain. While diplomatic efforts persist, these two nations’ significant hurdles are not to be underestimated. The past week’s events have underscored this pivotal relationship’s volatility. It remains to be seen whether the words exchanged and actions taken will pave the way for constructive dialogue or further intensify the standoff.
