Joe Biden compared Xi Jinping to a dictator, a day after senior Chinese and American diplomats met in Beijing to stabilize relations.
Mr Biden went on to say that Mr Xi was very embarrassed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was blown off course over US airspace earlier this year. His remark came after Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, said the spy balloon saga should be closed after a visit to Beijing.
“The reason Xi Jinping was so upset when I shot down this balloon with two train cars full of spy equipment is that he didn’t know it was there,” Biden said. at a fundraiser in California.
“It is a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what had happened. It wasn’t supposed to go where it was. He was deflected,” Mr. Biden added.
The US president went on to say that China “is in real economic trouble.”
Beijing responded by saying the remarks were “ridiculous” and expressing strong opposition.
Mr. Blinken and Mr. Xi agreed during their meeting to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so that it does not escalate into conflict, but produced no breakthrough during a rare visit to China by the secretary. of state.
They agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits from US officials in the coming weeks and months. Mr Biden said later on Tuesday that US climate envoy John Kerry may visit China soon.
Mr. Biden said on Monday that he believed relations between the two countries were on the right track, and he indicated that progress had been made during Mr. Blinken’s trip.
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