China says Biden comments likening leader Xi to a dictator are ‘extremely absurd and irresponsible’

BEIJING — China on Wednesday referred to as feedback by U.S. President Joe Biden referring to Chinese language chief Xi Jinping as a dictator “extraordinarily absurd and irresponsible,” as a brand new rift threatened to upset tentative efforts to stabilize the connection between the 2 international locations.

The conflict of phrases comes simply over a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a go to to Beijing that sought to interrupt the ice in a relationship that has hit a historic low. Whereas each side noticed these talks as productive, they didn’t lead to any vital breakthroughs past an settlement to return to a broad agenda for cooperation and competitors.

Biden, on the fundraiser on Tuesday night time, mentioned Xi was embarrassed over current tensions surrounding a suspected Chinese language spy balloon that was shot down by the Air Pressure over the East Coast.

“That’s an awesome embarrassment for dictators. Once they didn’t know what occurred,” Biden mentioned.

Overseas Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, responding to a query about Biden’s remarks, mentioned the feedback at a fundraiser in California “go completely towards details and severely violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China’s political dignity.”

“It’s a blatant political provocation. China expresses sturdy dissatisfaction and opposition,” Mao mentioned at a every day briefing.

“The U.S. remarks are extraordinarily absurd and irresponsible,” Mao mentioned.

Mao reiterated China’s rivalry that the balloon was for meteorological analysis and had been by accident blown off target.

“The U.S. ought to have dealt with it in a relaxed {and professional} method,” she mentioned. “Nonetheless, the U.S. distorted details and used forces to hype up the incident, totally revealing its nature of bullying and hegemony.”

Biden has beforehand used the time period dictator, together with battle legal, to consult with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his nation’s invasion of Ukraine.

Whereas Xi heads a rustic formally named the Folks’s Republic of China, he faces no limits on his phrases as head of state, commander of the army and chief of the ruling Communist Occasion, which brooks no challenges to its authority.

Blinken’s go to, throughout which he met with Xi, was geared toward easing tensions between the 2 superpowers.

The journey was initially scheduled for February however was placed on maintain after the balloon incident. Whereas the go to marked a return to high-level contacts between the edges, China continues to refuse talks between their militaries.

In current days, the U.S. says Chinese language warplanes and naval ships have maneuvered in ways in which threaten their U.S. counterparts within the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, regardless of agreements between them on protocols for avoiding such incidents.

Throughout Blinken’s go to, China reiterated its sturdy objections to U.S. assist for the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its personal territory. The U.S. has additionally sought to dam China’s entry to cutting-edge laptop chip manufacturing expertise that might be used for army functions and accused Beijing of stealing American mental property.

In his feedback on the fundraising occasion for his 2024 re-election marketing campaign, Biden mentioned he believed the balloon incident had caught Xi unaware.

“That’s what’s an awesome embarrassment for dictators, after they didn’t know what occurred. That wasn’t imagined to be going the place it was. It was blown off target up via Alaska after which down via the USA. And he didn’t learn about it,” Biden mentioned. “When it acquired shot down, he was very embarrassed. He denied it was even there.”

Regardless of their sharp political divide, the international locations proceed to have deep financial and cultural hyperlinks. Bilateral commerce handed $690 billion final yr and an estimated 300,000 Chinese language are believed to be learning within the U.S., shoring up American establishments which have come below monetary strain.

After assembly with Xi on Monday, Blinken acknowledged entrenched variations. “We’ve no illusions in regards to the challenges of managing this relationship. There are various points on which we profoundly, even vehemently, disagree,” he mentioned.

Xi sounded an analogous observe however urged the rivalry might be overcome.

“The competitors amongst main international locations shouldn’t be in step with the development of the instances and can’t remedy the issues of the USA itself and the challenges going through the world,” he instructed Blinken. “China respects the pursuits of the USA and won’t problem or supplant the USA. Equally, the USA must also respect China and never hurt its legit rights and pursuits.”