Reported comments by US President Joe Biden describing Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator have been branded “extremely absurd and irresponsible” by an official in Beijing.
The new clash of words comes just over a day since US secretary of state Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Mr Biden’s comments at a fundraiser in California “go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China’s political dignity”.
“It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition,” Ms Mao said at a daily briefing.
“The US remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible,” she added.
Mr Blinken’s visit, during which he met with Mr Xi, was aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers but appeared not to have achieved any solid results.
At the fundraiser on Tuesday night, Mr Biden said that Mr Xi was embarrassed over the recent tensions surrounding a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been shot down by the Air Force.
“That’s a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened,” Mr Biden said.
Ms Mao reiterated China’s contention that the balloon was intended for meteorological research and had been blown off-course accidentally.
“The US should have handled it in a calm and professional manner,” she said.
“However, the US distorted facts and used forces to hype up the incident, fully revealing its nature of bullying and hegemony.”
In his comments at the fundraising event for his 2024 re-election campaign, Mr Biden said he believed the balloon incident had caught Mr Xi unaware.
“That’s what’s a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn’t know what happened. That wasn’t supposed to be going where it was,” Mr Biden said.
“It was blown off course up through Alaska and then down through the United States. And he didn’t know about it. When it got shot down, he was very embarrassed. He denied it was even there.”
Despite their sharp political divide, the countries continue to have deep economic and cultural links. Bilateral trade passed 690 billion dollars (£540 billion) last year, and an estimated 300,000 Chinese are believed to be studying in the US, shoring up American institutions that have come under financial pressure.
Concluded a candid, constructive round of talks with PRC leadership. The relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China is profoundly consequential. Direct diplomacy is the best way to advance US interests and values and responsibly manage competition.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 19, 2023
Mr Blinken’s visit had been originally scheduled for February, but was put on hold after the balloon incident.
While it marked a return to high-level contacts between the sides, China continues to refuse talks between their militaries.
In recent days, the US said Chinese warplanes and naval ships have manoeuvred in threatening ways to their American counterparts in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, despite agreements between them on protocols for avoiding such incidents.
During Mr Blinken’s visit, China reiterated its strong objections to US support for the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory.
The US has also sought to block Beijing’s access to cutting-edge computer chip manufacturing technology that could be used for military purposes, and accused China of stealing American intellectual property.
After meeting with Mr Xi on Monday, Mr Blinken acknowledged entrenched differences.
“We have no illusions about the challenges of managing this relationship,” he said.
“There are many issues on which we profoundly, even vehemently, disagree.”
Mr Xi sounded a similar note, but suggested the rivalry could be overcome.
“The competition among major countries is not in line with the trend of the times and cannot solve the problems of the United States itself and the challenges facing the world,” he told Mr Blinken.
“China respects the interests of the United States and will not challenge or supplant the United States. Similarly, the United States should also respect China and not harm its legitimate rights and interests.”
