President Biden described Chinese President Xi Jinping as an autocrat who had a “great embarrassment” when one of his spy balloons passed over the US earlier this year without his knowledge.
Biden calls Chinese President dictator: A day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Xi in China on a trip intended to reduce tensions between Washington and Beijing that have risen since the balloon flyover, the 80-year-old president made the comments during a fundraiser in Kentfield, California.
Biden asserted at the fundraiser that Xi Jinping was unhappy because he was unaware that the balloon contained two box cars full of spy gear when it was shot down.
“That causes dictators a lot of shame. when they were unaware of what had happened. That wasn’t intended to proceed in the direction it did. The president said, “It was blown off course.
In February, alleged Chinese spy balloon made its way across entire US mainland, even hovering over strategic nuclear weapons locations. However, its journey came to an end when the balloon was eventually shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
Many Republicans took issue with Biden’s assertion that Xi was unaware of the whereabouts of his military’s very advanced surveillance equipment.
President Biden stated that the spy balloon “was blown off course” as it flew over secret US nuclear weapons locations. Eventually, the balloon was shot down after the deviation from its intended path.
“Blown off track? Didn’t the Chinese surveillance balloon purposefully fly right over some of our nation’s most important military installations? What justifications does Biden have for Xi? House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)’s spokesperson Chad Gilmartin stated in a tweet on Tuesday.
President Biden’s Remarks on China’s Difficulties, Criticism from Lawmakers, and Blinken’s Failed Negotiation Attempts
The president stated to journalists over the weekend that “China has some legitimate difficulties unrelated to the United States.”
“I don’t think the leadership understood where it was, knew what was in it, and knew what was going on,” continued Biden. “I think one of the problems the balloon caused was not so much that it got shot down. In my opinion, it was more embarrassing than purposeful.
Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, slammed Biden’s remarks, saying Fox News that “it was the administration that didn’t know what they were doing, and it was embarrassing for the American people.”
During crucial meeting, Blinken acknowledged on Monday that he had been unsuccessful in persuading Xi to reinstate military deconfliction line. Despite it being one of the administration’s top priorities, Blinken’s efforts did not result in the desired outcome.
The military-to-military line was terminated by the Chinese government last year in retaliation for Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Additionally, some diplomatic negotiations were also halted as a result, leading to a strained relationship between the two countries.