Biden Calls Chinese President Xi A ‘Dictator’

President Joe Biden, during a campaign fundraiser in California on Tuesday, referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “dictator.” He made this comment in the context of discussing the spy balloon incident, which caused significant diplomatic tension between Beijing and Washington.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent trip to Beijing aimed to ease the strained relations between the United States and China, the two largest economies in the world. After the visit, Blinken stated that the spy balloon issue should be resolved.

Nevertheless, Biden revisited the topic at the fundraiser, attended by over 125 individuals, including California Governor Gavin Newsom. He mentioned that Xi Jinping was upset because he was unaware of the spy balloon and that such incidents were embarrassing for dictators who were unaware of what was happening.

“The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn’t know it was there,” Biden said.

“That’s a great embarrassment for dictators,” he added, “when they didn’t know what happened.”

The Chinese Embassy did not provide an immediate response to Biden’s remarks. The President also did not retract his comments during a second fundraiser held on the same day.

Biden referred to an incident involving a Chinese spy balloon that crossed the United States in February. The Air Force shot down the balloon, which China claimed was an unmanned civilian airship conducting meteorological research, off the coast of South Carolina after it hovered above sensitive U.S. military installations. This incident escalated diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Washington.

While Blinken’s visit was considered somewhat successful, with Biden acknowledging his Secretary of State’s good work, several military communication channels that were severed after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China, have not been reestablished. The meeting between China and the U.S. did not result in any major breakthroughs, apart from an agreement to stabilize the relationship.

Recent military encounters in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea have heightened concerns. China claims to be defending its national sovereignty in these instances, while the U.S. has criticized Beijing’s actions as dangerous, emphasizing that American military personnel were operating in international airspace and waters.

Blinken’s visit marked the first by a Secretary of State since 2018. A planned trip in February was postponed due to the Chinese spy balloon incident. Biden previously mentioned that his plans for ongoing dialogue with Xi Jinping were disrupted by this incident.

During the fundraiser, Biden also mentioned that Xi Jinping had grown more concerned about the Quad strategic security group, consisting of the U.S., Australia, Japan, and India. This group has openly discussed serving as a counterbalance to Chinese interests, but Biden assured Xi that China need not worry.

Furthermore, Biden reassured the attendees not to be overly concerned about the recent tensions between Beijing and Washington, adding a lighthearted remark that they should “worry about China but don’t worry about China.”

{Matzav.com}