During a fundraising event in California, US President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator and highlighted the alleged spy balloon incident that caused embarrassment to China. These comments came shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with President Xi in Beijing, aimed at mitigating tensions between the two countries.
President Biden stated that the reason for Xi Jinping’s upset was his lack of knowledge about the presence of the alleged spy balloon, which was shot down by the US while reportedly containing Chinese espionage equipment. Biden remarked that such incidents cause embarrassment for dictators when they are unaware of what has transpired.
China has yet to respond to President Biden’s comments regarding President Xi and the spy balloon incident.
In February, a balloon, which China claimed was used for weather monitoring, drifted across the continental United States before being destroyed by American military aircraft. The US government subsequently declared it as part of a broader Chinese intelligence collection program.
Secretary Blinken’s visit to Beijing, the first by a high-ranking US diplomat in almost five years, aimed to revive high-level communications between the two nations. The visit had been postponed following the spy balloon incident. While both sides indicated some progress and openness to further talks, significant differences persist between the United States and China.
The US-China relationship has experienced significant strain due to the trade war initiated during the Trump administration, China’s assertive claims concerning Taiwan, and the shooting down of the alleged spy balloon.
