Xi Jinping's Government Dubs Biden's Dictator Remark 'Blatant Political Provocation'

U.S. President Joe Biden referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator on Monday has sparked a strong response from China, which has dubbed the comment "extremely absurd and irresponsible."

What Happened: Biden’s comments at a fundraiser in California were deemed “extremely absurd and irresponsible” by China, AP News reports.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Biden's comments at a fundraiser in California "go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China's political dignity."

"It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition," Mao said at a briefing, according to AP.

Why It Matters: The U.S. President earlier suggested that Xi was embarrassed over recent tensions surrounding a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the Air Force over the East Coast.

“That’s a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened,” Biden said. China continues to assert that the balloon was for meteorological research and had been accidentally blown off course.

This exchange of words adds another layer to the ongoing U.S.-China tensions. The spy balloon incident, which took place in February, has been a point of contention between the two nations.

As reported by Benzinga, the U.S. military shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon and recovered key sensors from the debris. China, however, dismissed the action as an “obvious overreaction” and claimed the airship had entered U.S. airspace due to unforeseen circumstances.

These remarks also come shortly after Blinken’s visit to China, where he met with Xi and discussed the need to stabilize the deteriorated U.S.-China ties. During the visit, Blinken reaffirmed the United States' commitment to the "one China policy" and emphasized that the U.S. does not support Taiwan's independence, as Benzinga reported.

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