Biden's label of Xi Jinping as 'dictator' causes controversy and disagreement.

Senior US officials were caught off guard by President Biden's description of Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator" just 24 hours after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing and appeared to reach a breakthrough in tense relations between the countries. Officials sought to clarify with the Chinese that Biden's description of Xi does not reflect a new talking point or official policy shift by the administration. Biden's comments did not create a firestorm of criticism from Republicans in Congress, who have often argued that the president is not tough enough on China.