(ANSA) - WASHINGTON, JUNE 20 - Joe Biden called Xi Jinping a "dictator" during an election fundraising event in California, commenting on the story of Chinese spy balloons shot down over the US skies shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's mission to mend bilateral relations.
"The reason Xi got very angry when I knocked down that balloon with two wagons full of espionage equipment," Biden said, "is that he didn't know it was there.
No, I'm serious. That's the big embarrassment for dictators when they don't know what happened. He didn't have to go where he was. He was taken off course through Alaska and then down through the United States and he didn't know it. When he was shot down he was very embarrassed and denied that he was also there.
Now we are in a situation where he wants to have a relationship again. Antony Blinken just went down there. He has done a good job and it will take time," the American president continued, adding that we need to worry about China but not too much because "it has real economic difficulties". (ANSA).
Joe Biden calls Xi Jinping a 'dictator'
2023-06-21T01:55:43.038Z
Highlights: Biden called Xi Jinping a "dictator" during an election fundraising event in California. He was speaking shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's mission to mend bilateral relations. "The reason Xi got very angry when I knocked down that balloon with two wagons full of espionage equipment is that he didn't know it was there," he said. "No, I'm serious. He didn't have to go through Alaska and then down through the United States and didn't even know it," he added.
Joe Biden called Xi Jinping a "dictator" during an election fundraising event in California, commenting on the story of Chinese spy balloons shot down over US skies shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's mission ... (ANSA)