U.S. President Joe Biden has once again referred to his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, as a dictator, a statement that has the potential to strain the recent diplomatic efforts between the world’s top two powers. Following their initial meeting in a year, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in San Francisco, Biden reaffirmed his stance when questioned about his June comment.
Biden stated on Wednesday, ‘Well, look, he is. He’s a dictator in the sense that he’s a guy who runs a country that is a communist country that’s based on a form of government totally different than ours.’
In a recent article from BBC, This remark echoes Biden’s June comment made during a California campaign fundraiser, just a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his first official visit to Beijing. At that time, Biden downplayed concerns about the impact of his words on already fragile bilateral ties.
China had strongly criticized Biden’s June comments, labeling them ‘utterly absurd and irresponsible’ and a ‘provocation.’
Despite the recent statement, Biden highlighted a renewed commitment to enhancing communication between the military forces of both nations and outlined agreements to collaborate on various fronts, including artificial intelligence, drug control, and education, during the press conference on Wednesday.