BEIJING — China on Wednesday called US President Joe Biden’s comments about his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a dictator “extremely absurd and irresponsible.”
The new dialectical clash occurs just one day after the visit of the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to Beijing, who wanted to break the ice in relations that are at their worst historical moment.
Biden’s remarks at a fundraiser in California “go totally against the facts, seriously violate diplomatic protocol and seriously undermine China’s political dignity,” said Mao Ning, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“It is a flagrant political provocation. China expresses its firm dissatisfaction and opposition,” Mao said at a daily press conference.
“The US comments are extremely absurd and irresponsible,” he added.
Blinken’s visit, which included a meeting with Xi, was aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers, but does not appear to have achieved any firm results.
At a fundraiser Tuesday night, Biden said Xi was embarrassed by recent tensions over a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the US Air Force over the country’s east coast.
“It is a great shame for the dictators. When they don’t know what happened,” Biden said.
Mao reiterated Beijing’s argument that it was a meteorological research balloon accidentally blown off course.
The meeting comes amid tensions between the US and China.
“The United States should have handled it calmly and professionally,” the spokesperson said. “However, it distorted the facts and used forces to exaggerate the incident, fully revealing its bullying and hegemony nature.”
Blinken’s visit was originally scheduled for February, but was postponed due to the balloon incident. Although it meant the resumption of high-level contacts between Washington and Beijing, China continues to refuse dialogue between its armies.
In recent days, the United States said Chinese warships and planes have carried out threatening maneuvers for US partners in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, despite protocols agreed between them to prevent such incidents. .
During Blinken’s visit, China reiterated its strong objections to Washington’s endorsement of the self-governing democratic island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. The United States has also tried to block China’s access to cutting-edge computer chip manufacturing technology that could be used for military purposes, accusing China of stealing US intellectual property.
After meeting with Xi on Monday, Blinken acknowledged that there are deep-seated differences. “We are under no illusions about the challenges of managing this relationship. There are many issues on which we disagree deeply, even vehemently,” he stated.
Both leaders spoke on common topics.
