21-6-2023 (BEIJING) Beijing has hit back at US President Joe Biden’s recent comments referring to President Xi Jinping as a “dictator,” calling them absurd and a provocation. The remarks were made just a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to stabilize bilateral relations, which China claims are at their lowest point since formal ties were established. During a fundraiser in California, Biden stated that Xi was embarrassed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was blown off course over US airspace earlier this year. Biden’s comments have caused outrage in China, with a foreign ministry spokesperson calling them “extremely absurd” and “irresponsible.”
Biden’s personal comments on the Chinese leader have seriously violated facts, diplomatic protocol, and China’s political dignity, according to the spokesperson. The comments are seen as an open political provocation, and have been described as being very destructive and damaging to mutual trust. Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, has called Biden’s comments a “loose cannon,” and has warned that they could undo some of the progress made during Blinken’s China visit.
During his visit, Blinken and Xi agreed to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so that it did not lead to conflict. While no breakthroughs were made, both sides agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months. Biden has indicated that US climate envoy John Kerry may visit China soon.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also criticized Biden’s comments, stating that they contradict the efforts of Blinken to ease tensions with Beijing. Peskov has described the remarks as “incomprehensible” and has warned that US foreign policy is unpredictable. However, he has also stated that Russia has good relations with China, despite its bad relations with the US.
The exchange of comments is the latest in a series of disputes between the two nations, as they continue to navigate a complex relationship that is marked by economic competition, strategic rivalry, and ideological differences. As the two nations continue to jostle for global influence, it remains to be seen how these recent developments will affect their relationship going forward.
