Biden's Bombshell Statement Amid US-China Thaw: "Xi Jinping Is a Dictator"

Mentioning Reconnaissance Balloons and Calling 'Dictator'
Attention to Fallout Amid Easing US-China Tensions

U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator," major foreign media reported on the 20th (local time). Biden's remarks came the day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing and met with President Xi, drawing attention to how this might affect the easing of tensions between the two countries.

According to reports, President Biden made the remarks while attending a fundraising event in California. At the event, he claimed that during the so-called "Chinese spy balloon" incident in February this year, President Xi was very embarrassed because he did not know the exact circumstances.

The US and China leaders face-to-face at the 2022 G20 Summit held in Bali.
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

Specifically, President Biden emphasized, "The reason Xi Jinping was very angry when I shot down the balloon filled with spy equipment was because he did not know it was there."

He added, "This must have been a great embarrassment to dictators," explaining, "He did not know what had happened, and at that time, the spy balloon had gone off course."

Biden's remarks came amid Secretary Blinken's visit to China from the 18th to 19th, during which he held talks with President Xi, Wang Yi, a member of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau, and Qin Gang, Foreign Minister, seeking to ease tensions.

Originally, Secretary Blinken was scheduled to visit China in February, but the spy balloon incident and the resulting strained relations led to an indefinite postponement of the trip.

Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, visiting China on a tight schedule, shakes hands with Xi Jinping, President of China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 19th.
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

During his recent visit to China, Secretary Blinken agreed with President Xi to stabilize bilateral relations but was rejected in his attempt to reopen military communication lines, failing to achieve a major breakthrough.

Meanwhile, on the 19th, during a visit to Santa Clara, California, President Biden responded to reporters' questions about U.S.-China relations by saying, "We are now on the right path here," indicating some progress.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.