President Joe Biden raised eyebrows on Wednesday when he called his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping a “dictator.”a comment that could jeopardize the fragile achievements of their long-awaited summit.
In a press conference after the talks Biden said he would continue to view Xi as a dictator because of the nature of China’s authoritarian system. It was the second time this year that the president of the United States used the unflattering epithet – a departure from the smile and warm handshake the two had exchanged just hours earlier.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders’ Forum in San Francisco, was touted for months as an opportunity for the world’s two most powerful countries to partially repair a relationship that has been frayed over divisions over trade, human rights, espionage, Taiwan and many other issues .
A video showed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sitting in the front row during the press conference, He was visibly uncomfortable when Biden made the offhand remark.
At a regular news conference in Beijing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said China “Strongly objected” to the comments but did not mention Biden by name.
Biden has earned a reputation for making rhetorical gaffes over the years, and his latest comment appeared to be poorly received in Beijing, whose leaders are particularly sensitive to public criticism and diplomatic protocols.
At a fundraiser in June, Biden recalled his order to shoot down China’s spy balloon after it flew over the continental United States earlier this year, saying: “The reason Xi Jinping was very upset is because of when I shot him down.” .” Balloon with two train cars full of spy equipment, I didn’t know it was there.
“I’m serious. “That was the great shame for the dictators because they didn’t know what was happening,” he said.
Mao, the spokesman, said the comments were “extremely ridiculous and irresponsible.” “They seriously violate basic facts, diplomatic protocol and China’s political dignity.”
Biden and Xi agreed to restore military lines of communication, which Biden had previously said was high on the agenda. China broke off talks after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan in August 2022.
(With information from Newsweek)