Beijing fumes as Biden still hopeful of meeting Xi
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WASHINGTON: Beijing continued to be incensed by remarks President Joe Biden made about Xi Jinping, with the Chinese embassy in Washington saying the US should act immediately to undo the negative impact, or bear all the consequences.
But seemingly unfazed by the furore his remarks have ignited, US President Joe Biden said Thursday that he still expected to meet Xi Jinping in the “near term”.
“I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, near term,” President Biden told a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
China was enraged after Biden referred to Xi Jinping as a “dictator” at a fundraising event on Tuesday, an unexpected flare-up just a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken completed a visit to Beijing aimed at stabilising relations between the superpowers.
Chinese embassy in Washington warns White House to undo damage from president’s remarks
Analysts have said that despite the controversy, both countries have little interest in allowing Biden’s remarks to derail efforts to improve ties.
A statement from China’s embassy early on Thursday said the Chinese ambassador, Xie Feng, “made serious representations and strong protests” to senior officials at the White House and the US State Department on Wednesday.
“The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against China’s top leader, and will resolutely respond,” the statement said.
“We urge the US side to immediately take earnest actions to undo the negative impact and honour its own commitments. Otherwise, it will have to bear all the consequences.”
On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the remarks “extremely absurd” and “irresponsible.” She said they seriously violated facts, diplomatic protocol and China’s political dignity and were an “open political provocation.”
US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Wednesday that Washington continued to expect diplomatic engagements with China “in due course, when the time is appropriate” and that Biden believed diplomacy was the way forward, but added: “That does not mean, of course, we will not be blunt and forthright about our differences.”
The Chinese embassy statement said Biden’s remarks ran “counter to the commitments made by the US side, and undermines mutual trust”.
“President Biden said explicitly before that the United States respects China’s system, does not seek to change it and has no intention for a new Cold War. But with the latest irresponsible remarks about China’s political system and top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the US side,” it said.
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023
