Biden Stands Firm on Calling Xi Jinping a Dictator Despite Consequences

US President Joe Biden downplayed the impact of his comments likening his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to a dictator, even as the Chinese government warned of “consequences” for the remarks. Biden said he expected to meet Xi in the near future, and suggested he would not tone down his rhetoric in the future. The Chinese Embassy called Biden’s comments a “smear” that “seriously contradicts basic facts, breaches diplomatic etiquette, infringes on China’s political dignity, runs counter to the commitments made by the US side, and undermines mutual trust.”