KENTFIELD, California/BEIJING听–听US听笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟听Joe听叠颈诲别苍听on Tuesday called听齿颈听Jinping a听诲颈肠迟补迟辞谤, a day after top US diplomat Antony Blinken visited Beijing to 聽that China says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established.
Mr. Biden also said Mr. Xi聽was very embarrassed when a suspected听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听spy balloon was blown off course over US airspace early this year, making a personal comment on the听颁丑颈苍别蝉别听leader when Mr. Blinken said on Monday the “chapter” should be聽.
It was unclear why Mr. Biden聽made the comments on Mr. Xi聽– China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong after he secured a precedent-breaking third term as听辫谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟听and head of the Communist Party.
“The reason why听齿颈听Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn’t know it was there,” Mr. Biden聽said at a fundraiser in California.
“That’s a great embarrassment for听诲颈肠迟补迟辞谤s. When they didn’t know what happened. That wasn’t supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course,” Mr. Biden聽added.
Mr. Biden聽also said China “has real economic difficulties.”
Mr. Xi, who met with Mr. Blinken on Monday, has not publicly responded to听叠颈诲别苍‘s comments but they are unlikely to go down well in Beijing and could jeopardize efforts by both countries to bring their relationship back to a more stable footing after the balloon incident.
DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT
Mr. Blinken and Mr. Xi聽agreed in their meeting to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so it did not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any breakthrough during a rare visit to China by the secretary of state.
They did agree to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months.听叠颈诲别苍听said later on Tuesday that US climate envoy John Kerry may go to China soon.
Mr. Biden聽said on Monday he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, and he indicated that progress was made during Mr. Blinken’s trip.
Mr. Biden聽said on Tuesday that听齿颈听had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. The US听辫谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟听said he previously told Mr. Xi聽the US was not trying to encircle China with the Quad.
“He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind,” Mr. Biden聽said.
Later this week, Mr. Biden聽will meet Indian Prime Minister聽 and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders. – Reuters
