2023-06-21 11:19:02
China hit back on Wednesday after U.S. President Joe Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a “dictator”, calling the comments absurd and provocative, in an unexpected spat immediately following efforts by both sides. sides to reduce tension.
Biden’s comments came just a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to stabilize bilateral relations that China says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established.
Attending a fundraiser in California, Biden said Xi was deeply embarrassed when an alleged Chinese spy balloon exploded in US airspace earlier this year, making a personal comment about the Chinese leader when Blinken said on Monday that the “chapter” of the spy balloon should be closed.
“The reason Xi Jinping was so upset when I brought down that balloon with two boxcars full of spy equipment is that he didn’t know it was there,” Biden said.
“This is a huge embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened,” Biden added.
Biden also said that China “has real economic difficulties.”
A spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Biden’s comments were “extremely absurd” and “irresponsible”.
Expressing China’s strong dissatisfaction, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said Biden’s comments seriously violated facts, diplomatic protocol and China’s political dignity.
“They are an open political provocation,” she said at a news conference.
Asked how much Xi was aware of the balloon’s movements, the spokesman reiterated China’s earlier explanation that the balloon’s passage through US airspace was unintentional and caused by circumstances beyond its control.
‘BIG MOUTH’
“Biden’s big mouth is a loose cannon,” said Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.
“Mutual trust is what China has been emphasizing, so Biden’s comments are very destructive and hurtful,” Wu said, adding that the comments may not fully undo what Blinken achieved in his visit to China.
Blinken and Xi agreed at their meeting on Monday to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so that it does not escalate into conflict.
While no headway was made during the first visit to China by a US Secretary of State in five years, both sides agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months.
Biden later said on Tuesday that US climate envoy John Kerry may be heading to China soon.
A day earlier, on Monday, Biden said he thought relations between the two countries were on track and indicated that progress had been made during Blinken’s trip.
Biden said on Tuesday that Xi was concerned about the so-called Quad security strategic group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. The US president said he had already assured Xi that the United States was not trying to encircle China with the Quad.
Later this week, Biden will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders.
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