U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced his support for President Joe Biden following a contentious exchange sparked by Biden’s characterization of Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a “dictator.”
In an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Blinken said, "The President always speaks candidly; he speaks directly. He speaks clearly, and he speaks for all of us."
"The main purpose [of the trip] was to bring some greater stability to the relationship. We have an obligation, and I think China has an obligation to manage that relationship responsibly, to make sure that the profound differences we have don't veer into conflict," Blinken said.
He stressed that both the United States and China have an obligation to responsibly manage their differences to prevent them from escalating into conflict.
"But one of the things that I said to [my] Chinese counterparts during this trip was that we are going to continue to do things and say things that you don't like, just as you're no doubt going to continue to do and say things that we don't like,” he said.
Biden’s remarks, made during a campaign event in California, directly criticized Xi, labeling him a totalitarian leader, particularly in the context of the February spy balloon incident.
These comments triggered a strong reaction from Beijing, with Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning denouncing them as “extremely absurd” and “irresponsible.”
Why It Matters: Biden’s comments caught top American officials off guard. In an effort to mitigate any diplomatic fallout, Blinken promptly met with the Chinese leader to help ease tensions between the two countries.
In response to Biden’s remarks, the Chinese envoy in Washington formally protested, expressing concerns over the sincerity of the United States due to the perceived “irresponsible remarks” targeting China’s political system and its top leader. The Chinese embassy asserted that they would strongly and resolutely respond to the situation.
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