US President Joe Biden called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a dictator at a fundraiser in California on Tuesday. This statement came after the visit of US diplomat Anthony Blinken to Beijing with the aim of stabilizing the tense bilateral relations between the two countries.
President Biden also mentioned that Xi was deeply embarrassed by the incident earlier this year when a suspected Chinese spy balloon drifted into US airspace.
Although Blinken has suggested closing the matter, it is unclear why Biden would bring up the issue and make such personal comments about the Chinese leader.
During their meeting on Monday, Blinken and Xi agreed to work toward stabilizing the bitter rivalry between Washington and Beijing to prevent it devolving into military conflict. There were no major breakthroughs during Blinken’s visit to China, but both sides agreed there would be more diplomatic trips. President Biden also mentioned that US Climate Protection Commissioner John Kerry may visit China soon.
Biden acknowledged that Xi was concerned about the strategic security group known as the Quartet, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. US President Xi has previously stressed that the alliance does not aim to isolate China. At the end of the week, President Biden will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a discussion of China is also expected during the event.
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