Biden labels Chinese counterpart Xi a dictator: Beijing reacts

The Hills reported this.

He made this statement when discussing Xi Jinping's reaction to the US shooting down a Chinese spy balloon.

“The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn’t know it was there. No, I’m serious. That was the great embarrassment for dictators,  when they didn’t know what happened,” Biden said.

Next, President Biden stated that China is facing certain "economic difficulties."

“By the way, I promise you, don’t worry about China. Worry about China but don’t worry about China. I really mean it. China has real economic difficulties,” he added.

China’s reaction

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mao Ning, called Biden's words "extremely absurd" and "irresponsible," according to Reuters.

Expressing China’s strong dissatisfaction, the spokesperson stated that Biden's comments seriously violate facts, diplomatic protocols, and China's political dignity.

"This is an open political provocation," she said at a press conference.

•  On Monday, June 19th, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China's leader, Xi Jinping. They discussed cooperation and promoting global peace. Joe Biden believes that the relations between the United States and China are on the "right track," and Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Beijing has led to progress.