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KENTFIELD, CALIFORNIA / BEIJING: China hit back Wednesday after US President Joe Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a “dictator,” saying the remarks were ridiculous and provocative, in an unexpected row immediately after efforts by both sides to lower tensions.
Biden’s comments came just a day after the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visited Beijing to stabilize bilateral relations, which China says are at their lowest point since formal relations were established.
Biden, who was attending a fundraiser in California, said Xi was very embarrassed at the suspicion Chinese spy balloon His path was blown further United States airspace Early this year, he made a personal comment about the Chinese leader when he said Monday that “the chapter” should be closed to Blinken.
“The reason Xi Jinping was so upset when I dropped that balloon with two box cars full of spy gear in it is because he didn’t know it was there,” Biden said.
“This is a huge embarrassment to dictators. When they didn’t know what happened. This wasn’t supposed to go where it was. The track was blown,” Biden added.
Xi became China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong after he secured an unprecedented third term as chairman in March and Communist Party chief in October.
Biden also said that China “is facing real economic difficulties.”
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Biden’s remarks were “extremely ridiculous” and “irresponsible”.
Expressing China’s strong indignation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Biden’s remarks seriously violate China’s diplomatic facts and protocol and political dignity.
“It is an outright political provocation,” she told a news conference.
It was not clear why Biden said Xi was unaware of the airship’s whereabouts. When asked if Xi knew its location, Mao repeated China’s earlier explanation that the airship’s passage through US airspace was unintentional and caused by circumstances beyond his control.
No breakthroughs
Biden’s comments came after Blinken and Xi agreed in their meeting on Monday to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so as not to deviate from conflict.
While no breakthroughs were made during the US Secretary of State’s first visit to China for five years, the two sides agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months.
Biden said later on Tuesday that US climate envoy John Kerry may go to China soon.
The day before, on Monday, Biden said he believed relations between the two countries were on the right track, and noted that progress had been made during Blinken’s trip.
On Tuesday, Biden said Xi was concerned about the so-called strategic security quad, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. The US president said he had earlier stressed to Xi that the US is not trying to encircle China with the Quartet.
“He called me and told me not to do it because it puts him in trouble,” Biden said.
Later this week, Biden will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders.
Biden’s comments came just a day after the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visited Beijing to stabilize bilateral relations, which China says are at their lowest point since formal relations were established.
Biden, who was attending a fundraiser in California, said Xi was very embarrassed at the suspicion Chinese spy balloon His path was blown further United States airspace Early this year, he made a personal comment about the Chinese leader when he said Monday that “the chapter” should be closed to Blinken.
“The reason Xi Jinping was so upset when I dropped that balloon with two box cars full of spy gear in it is because he didn’t know it was there,” Biden said.
“This is a huge embarrassment to dictators. When they didn’t know what happened. This wasn’t supposed to go where it was. The track was blown,” Biden added.
Xi became China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong after he secured an unprecedented third term as chairman in March and Communist Party chief in October.
Biden also said that China “is facing real economic difficulties.”
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Biden’s remarks were “extremely ridiculous” and “irresponsible”.
Expressing China’s strong indignation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Biden’s remarks seriously violate China’s diplomatic facts and protocol and political dignity.
“It is an outright political provocation,” she told a news conference.
It was not clear why Biden said Xi was unaware of the airship’s whereabouts. When asked if Xi knew its location, Mao repeated China’s earlier explanation that the airship’s passage through US airspace was unintentional and caused by circumstances beyond his control.
No breakthroughs
Biden’s comments came after Blinken and Xi agreed in their meeting on Monday to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so as not to deviate from conflict.
While no breakthroughs were made during the US Secretary of State’s first visit to China for five years, the two sides agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months.
Biden said later on Tuesday that US climate envoy John Kerry may go to China soon.
The day before, on Monday, Biden said he believed relations between the two countries were on the right track, and noted that progress had been made during Blinken’s trip.
On Tuesday, Biden said Xi was concerned about the so-called strategic security quad, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. The US president said he had earlier stressed to Xi that the US is not trying to encircle China with the Quartet.
“He called me and told me not to do it because it puts him in trouble,” Biden said.
Later this week, Biden will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders.
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