President Biden Calls Chinese President Xi Jinping a ‘Dictator’ at Private Fundraising Event in California

KENTFIELD, Calif. – President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator while speaking to supporters at a private fundraising event in Northern California Tuesday evening.

The comment came on the heels of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s in-person meeting with Xi Monday during a rare diplomatic trip to China. Mr. Biden, addressing the Chinese surveillance balloon which was shot down by the U.S. military in February off the coast of South Carolina, implied that Xi was caught off guard by the incident.

“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 in it is he didn’t know it was there,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s what’s a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn’t know what happened.”

The incident between the U.S. and China has been a source of tension between the two countries, and Secretary Blinken’s visit was seen as an attempt to ease the tensions. The U.S. and China have been at odds over a number of issues, including trade, human rights, and the South China Sea.

The meeting between Blinken and Xi was the first high-level diplomatic meeting between the two countries since President Biden took office in January. It is unclear if the meeting will lead to any progress in resolving the issues between the two countries, but the White House has said that the U.S. will continue to push for a more equitable relationship with China.