Biden says his 'dictator' comment on Xi has no 'real consequence' on China ties

• President Joe Biden said there aren't real consequences to his remarks calling his Chinese counterpart a "dictator."
• Biden made those comments during a campaign fundraiser in California on Tuesday, just one day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his first official visit to Beijing.

Joe Biden says his earlier "dictator" comment on Chinese president Xi Jinping has not derailed efforts to mend ties between the world's two largest economies. He was speaking at a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on June 22, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Win Mcnamee | Getty Images

U.S. President Joe Biden dismissed concerns about his comment referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a "dictator," saying his remarks did not undermine diplomatic efforts to mend fragile ties between the two countries.

"I don't think it's had any real consequence," Biden told reporters Thursday at a joint news conference in Washington with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Biden labeled President Xi a dictator during a campaign fundraiser in California on Tuesday, just one day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his first official visit to Beijing.

Blinken's trip was aimed at mending ties between the two global powers that hit rock bottom after the U.S. in February shot down what it described as a surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina. China denies it was a spy balloon.

Within hours of Biden's remarks, China shot back with a sharp response, calling the comment "utterly absurd and irresponsible" and a "provocation."

The Chinese Embassy in the United States reiterated Beijing's position on Thursday.

China's ambassador to the U.S., Xie Feng, "made serious representations and strong protests" to the Biden administration, according to NBC.

In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., Liu Pengyu, said China will not accept "political provocation against China's top leader," NBC reported.

"We urge the U.S. side to immediately take earnest actions to undo the negative impact and honor its own commitments. Otherwise, it will have to bear all the consequences," Liu said.

The situation underscores the tricky balance Biden must strike in managing ties with an assertive global rival while trying to appeal to domestic voters.

"I've said this for some time — that the hysteria about the relationship with China is collapsing and moving, etc, etc. We had an incident that caused some — some confusion, you might say," Biden said Thursday.

"But Secretary Blinken had a great trip to China. I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, in the near term."