During a fundraising ceremony in California, President Joe Biden referred to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as a “dictator.” Biden explained that Xi was embarrassed by recent tensions arising from a Chinese surveillance balloon filled with spy equipment that flew over the United States and was shot down.

Biden further remarked that it is shameful for dictators when they are unaware of what is happening and when the balloon deviates from its intended trajectory.

These comments were made a day after the conclusion of talks between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, and other top Chinese officials. Official media reported that both countries had agreed to stabilize their relations and keep their communication channels open to avoid any full-scale conflict.

President Joe Biden Labels Chinese President Xi Jinping as a 'Dictator'

In a press statement on Monday, Biden affirmed that US-China relations were on the right track following the progress made during Blinken’s diplomatic trip to China.

However, since the Trump administration initiated a trade war against Beijing, these relations have been strained, particularly regarding disagreements over Taiwan and the discovery of the aforementioned spy balloon flying over American territory.