The signs of appeasement did not last long: barely had the American Secretary of State returned from an encouraging trip to Beijing, American President Joe Biden related his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to a “dictator”.
Referring to a recent episode in which the United States destroyed a Chinese balloon which they said was spying on their territory, Joe Biden assured that “the reason why (the Chinese president) got so angry when I shot down this balloon full of spy equipment is that he did not know (that this device) was there”.
He was speaking at a reception in California with Democratic Party donors, attended by reporters.
“It’s very embarrassing for dictators when they don’t know what happened,” he continued, adding, “When (the ball) was knocked down (Xi Jinping) found himself very embarrassed and he even denied that (the aircraft) was there”.
These statements come as Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a two-day visit to Beijing on Monday, the first by an American diplomat in nearly five years.
His meeting with Xi Jinping was hailed by both countries as a success after months of tension, despite the persistence of deep disagreements.
Still about Xi Jinping, Joe Biden said again: “We are in a situation where he wants to establish a relationship again”.
The American president considered that Mr. Blinken had done “a good job” in China, but explained that it “would take time” to calm the very tense relationship between the two great powers.
“And by the way, I promise you, don’t worry about China. (…) China has real economic difficulties,” said the 80-year-old Democrat, campaigning for his re-election.
The all-out rivalry between China and the United States had turned into a diplomatic crisis that opened with the balloon episode in February.
The US president referred to another sticking point with China: the summit at which the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States – known as the “Quad” – addressed in May thinly veiled criticism of Beijing’s Asia-Pacific policy, which they see as a source of instability.
The four countries are “working hand-in-hand in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean,” Biden said, saying the show of unity between the four countries was what “really upset” the Chinese president. .
This isn’t the first time Joe Biden has made landmark statements at fundraising receptions, small-scale events where cameras, microphones and cameras are barred – but reporters in attendance can listen to the introductory remarks of the president and transcribe them.
It was during an event of this kind, in October 2022, that Joe Biden had, for example, mentioned the risk of a nuclear “apocalypse” triggered by Russia.
21/06/2023 05:40:09 – San Francisco (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
