China: Biden's 'Xi Jinping dictator' remark is very wrong

U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator" just hours after their summit, prompting an immediate backlash from the Chinese government, which called the remark a "very wrong expression."

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) is giving a thumbs-up while walking side by side with Chinese President Xi Jinping near Woodside, San Francisco, California, on the 15th (local time). On this day, the two leaders held a face-to-face meeting for the first time in about a year during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 16th, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to a question about President Biden's remarks during a regular briefing, saying, "This expression is very wrong and an irresponsible political trick," and added, "China firmly opposes it." He also stated, "What I want to point out is that there are always people trying to sow discord and destroy China-U.S. relations, but this will not come to pass." However, he did not provide further details about who these "people trying to sow discord and destroy China-U.S. relations" are.

Earlier, on the 15th (local time), President Xi held his second face-to-face summit with President Joe Biden in Woodside near San Francisco. It was 366 days after their first in-person meeting in Bali, Indonesia, last November. At a subsequent dinner with U.S. business leaders, President Xi repeatedly emphasized the message that the two countries should see each other as partners rather than enemies and strive to build a friendly relationship.

However, immediately after the summit, President Biden made an unexpected remark calling President Xi a "dictator." When asked by reporters right after the meeting whether he still viewed President Xi as a dictator despite the "substantial progress" made, he replied, "Well, look. Yes," and explained, "He runs a communist country based on a completely different form of government from ours," adding, "In that sense, I mean he is a dictator."

President Biden had previously called President Xi a "dictator" at a fundraising event in June, which drew strong opposition from the Chinese government. At that time, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. issued a statement urging "immediate serious action" and warned, "Otherwise, all consequences must be borne." About a month later, President Biden also referred to the Chinese government as "villains."