(ANSA) - BEIJING, FEBRUARY 09 - China judges Joe Biden's comments about Chinese leader Xi Jinping as "extremely irresponsible", who according to the US president is facing "enormous problems".
"This kind of rhetoric on the part of the United States is extremely irresponsible and goes against basic diplomatic etiquette," Beijing Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a press conference.
In an interview with PBS, Biden said that the Chinese economy "isn't working very well" and that Xi has "enormous problems" economically.
"Find me just one world leader who would like to take his place," he said.
Beijing has also confirmed that it refused a telephone call from the head of the Pentagon due to the shooting down of a Chinese balloon that had flown over US territory in recent days: a decision that China defines as "irresponsible".
"The mistaken irresponsible approach by the US has not created an atmosphere of dialogue and exchange between the military" of the two countries, the Chinese defense ministry said in a statement.
(HANDLE).