China has labeled Joe Biden a ‘provocateur’ after he called Xi Jinping a dictator

“Provocateur” Joe Biden calls Xi Jinping a “dictator”. The exchange of accusations shows the fragility of the relationship that China and the US are trying to rebuild and how much it still divides them. The truce between the two powers does not last two days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing.

China protested and accused the US of violating diplomatic etiquette after President Biden’s statements against Xi Jinping. On Wednesday, at a daily press conference, Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning called Washington’s behavior “absurd and irresponsible” and described Biden’s statements as “political provocation.” Mao warned that Beijing would “struggle to protect its interests, image and dignity”.

Biden compared Xi to a dictator at a campaign fundraiser in California on Tuesday. The US president addressed the incident in which an alleged Chinese spy balloon was shot down while flying over US airspace in February. He said Xi was upset because he didn’t know the balloon was there, adding: “It’s a big shame for dictators when they don’t know something has happened.” China continues to maintain that the balloon was only gathering weather information and that it accidentally deviated from its route.

It’s not the first time Biden has called Xi Jinping a dictator, but this time the comments come just after Blinken returned from his two-day official visit to Beijing, the first by a senior Chinese official in five years. It was inevitable that Biden’s words would open a new crisis, even if it was just one of the statements.

At the moment, it doesn’t appear that what was accomplished by Blinken’s journey is in jeopardy, which essentially keeps the channels of contact open. It is particularly convenient for China, which needs to stimulate its economy, to meet with the US Treasury and Commerce ministers in the short term. But the interests of the two countries are very different. Biden, with a presidential campaign in sight, cannot afford to make concessions to that Asian country.

China has refused to resume military talks with the United States to reduce the risks, because it is concerned that it will increase its aid to Taiwan. The island is holding elections in January and Beijing is certain to do nothing until it knows whether the independence movement continues to win.

Although Washington insists it does not want to break away from China, Beijing sees sanctions on its tech companies as a way to curb its growth and preserve its hegemony. Both governments also clash over their influence in the Indo-Pacific. China is showering investments on countries that join its New Silk Road. While the US has created alliances with countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines. This week he rolled out the red carpet to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.