During a fundraising event in California, US President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator. Biden’s comments came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent talks with Xi aimed at easing tensions between the US and China. Biden also mentioned an incident where the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon, which he claimed embarrassed Xi. China strongly opposed Biden’s remarks, calling them absurd and irresponsible. The balloon incident, which China said was for weather monitoring, led to a postponement of Blinken’s visit to Beijing. Despite some progress made during Blinken’s visit, significant differences persist between the two countries due to trade wars, Taiwan-related issues, and the spy balloon incident.
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