Antony Blinken stands by Biden’s ‘dictator’ remark on Xi Jinping
In June 2023, US President Joe Biden referred to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as a “dictator” during a fundraiser in California 1. This comment was met with a swift and angry response from Beijing, with the spokesperson for the foreign ministry calling it a violation of diplomatic etiquette and China’s political dignity 1. The White House made no attempt to clarify Biden’s remark, and while some US officials expressed surprise after reading the president’s quotes, there was little to indicate he misspoke.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had just returned from a high-profile diplomatic visit to Beijing, stood by Biden’s comment and said that “we are going to do and say things that they don’t like” 2. During his visit, Blinken met with Xi for just over half an hour in what was later described as a “constructive” conversation.
Regarding Xi’s remark about Taiwan, he said that “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable and that China reserves the right to use force to achieve it 3. This statement was met with concern from the US and other countries, with the US State Department saying that it was “deeply concerned” and that the use of force would be a “grave mistake”.
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