US-China tensions: Biden calls Xi a dictator a day after Beijing talks

US President Joe Biden has called Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator astatine a fundraising lawsuit successful California.

His remarks came a time aft US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Mr Xi for talks successful Beijing, which were aimed astatine easing tensions betwixt the 2 superpowers.

Mr Biden besides said Mr Xi was embarrassed aft an alleged Chinese spy balloon was changeable down by the US.

China has said it "firmly opposes" Mr Biden's comments.

"The crushed wherefore Xi Jinping got precise upset, successful presumption of erstwhile I changeable that balloon down with 2 container cars afloat of spy instrumentality successful it, was helium didn't cognize it was there," Mr Biden said connected Tuesday. "That's a large embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't cognize what happened," helium added.

China's overseas ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called Mr Biden's remarks "extremely absurd and irresponsible". Speaking astatine a regularly scheduled property conference, she said that it is "an unfastened governmental provocation" that violates diplomatic etiquette.

The balloon, which China says was monitoring weather, drifted crossed the continental US earlier being destroyed by American subject craft successful February. Washington aboriginal said it was portion of a sprawling Chinese quality postulation programme. Mr Blinken, who was meant to sojourn Beijing astatine the time, postponed the travel successful the aftermath of the balloon incident.

His sojourn implicit the weekend, the archetypal by a apical US diplomat successful astir 5 years, restarted high-level communications betwixt the 2 countries.

Mr Xi said immoderate advancement had been made successful Beijing, portion Mr Blinken indicated some sides were unfastened to much talks. Major differences, however, stay betwixt the 2 countries.

Relations person plummeted successful the aftermath of a Trump-era commercialized war, Beijing's assertive claims implicit Taiwan and the shooting down of the alleged spy balloon.