According to
Joe Biden
said Wednesday he still
believes that Chinese President
Xi Jinping
is a dictator, despite progress being made during their recent meeting in San Francisco.
During an interview with CNN, Biden stated, “Well, look, he’s a dictator in the sense that he is a guy who runs a country that is a communist country that’s based on a form of government totally different than ours. Anyway, we made progress.”
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry called Biden’s remark “extremely erroneous” and an “irresponsible political maneuver, which China firmly opposes.”
Over the summer, Beijing responded furiously when Biden made a similar comment, likening Xi to “dictators” in June.
Biden’s relationship with Xi dates back to their time as vice presidents, and he still appears to have a warm personal relationship with him. Diplomatic relations between the US and China have soured since that time.
For his part, Xi called on the United States to “not scheme to suppress or contain China” during their recent meeting, according to Chinese state media.
The two leaders “emphasized the need for mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, maintaining communication and conflict prevention” during the meeting, according to Xinhua.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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