The timing of Joe Biden’s next verbal slip could have been better. Just a day after his Foreign Minister Antony Blinken met President Xi Jinping in Beijing, the US President described China’s leader as a dictator.
Joe Biden was obviously very pleased. His Secretary of State Antony Blinken did a “damn good job” in Beijing, Biden said on Monday during a visit to the US state of California. The top diplomat was the first US Secretary of State to visit China in five years.
But just one day later, his boss makes a verbal slip – again. This time the questionable choice of words was compounded by bad timing.
Xi Jinping receives US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing
Whether it’s trade disputes, China’s support for Russia or Beijing’s snarling over Taiwan, the relationship between the two superpowers has recently been more tense than it has been for a long time. The expectations of Blinken’s visit were all the greater.
After two days of intensive discussions, a slight sigh of relief. Both sides agree “that we have to stabilize our relationship”. The reception of the state and party leader was also far more hopeful. Xi Jinping had met the top US diplomat in person – an unusual gesture. At their meeting, Xi spoke of “progress” from Blinken’s visit. They even “reached agreement on certain issues”.
And then along came Joe Biden. The US President allowed himself to be carried away to an unfortunate formulation during an election campaign appearance on Tuesday in Kentfield, California.
Joe Biden makes a faux pas in the subordinate clause
“The reason why Xi Jinping was very upset when I shot down this balloon with two wagons full of spy equipment is because he didn’t know he was there,” several US media quoted the president as saying. Biden was referring to the alleged spy balloon that flew over large parts of the United States in February and, in addition to causing a worldwide sensation, caused a serious crack in American-Chinese relations. A long-planned visit to Blinken was canceled at short notice. It is unclear how the 80-year-old Biden came up with the subject of China during his performance in the San Francisco suburb.
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However, the actual faux pas he made was in a subordinate clause: “That’s what is very embarrassing for dictators when they don’t know what happened”. In theory, Xi meets a number of criteria for a dictator. Since the founder of the state, Mao Tsetung, no Chinese has been more powerful. His influence on the Communist Party – and thus de facto on the government – is considered almost unlimited.
One wonders whether the formulation of the US President, who is known for his sometimes embarrassing slips, was productive in the case. After all, his foreign minister’s visit to Beijing was more about respect than about concrete agreements.
Sources: “”; “”; DPA
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
