U. S. President Joe Biden calls Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator in comments on Tuesday at a California fundraiser for his re-election campaign.
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U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator in comments underscoring the tricky balance of managing ties with an assertive global rival while appealing to domestic audiences as he seeks re-election.
Biden’s comment at a Tuesday fundraiser comes only a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his first official visit to Beijing.
That trip was geared toward mending ties between the 2 global powers which have hit all-time low after the U.S. in February shot down what it described as a surveillance balloon — a claim China denies — off the coast of South Carolina.
“The rationale why Xi Jinping got very upset when it comes to after I shot that balloon down with two box cars filled with spy equipment is he didn’t understand it was there,” Biden told a fundraiser in Kentfield, California, in support of his bid for a second presidential term on the 2024 elections.
“That was the nice embarrassment for dictators, after they didn’t know what happened. That wasn’t alleged to be going where it was,” he added.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn’t be immediately reached for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Blinken postponed the Beijing trip, which was originally scheduled for February, after the stray balloon incident. His visit over the weekend marked a resumption of high-level U.S.-China government meetings after a tense four-plus months.
While his mission was largely seen as successful in getting the 2 global powers communicating again, Blinken was unable to revive military-to-military talks with China.
“We’re in a situation now where he desires to have a relationship again,” Biden said. “Antony Blinken just went over there … did job and it should take time,” Biden said late Tuesday.
