Biden labels Xi Jinping a dictator, China calls comments 'extremely absurd and irresponsible'

President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator, and China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called his comments "extremely absurd and irresponsible." "It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said about Biden's comments during a daily press briefing in Beijing, according to The Associated Press. "The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible." Ning's quick response came after Biden said Tuesday evening at a California fundraiser that Xi was upset when the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon in February. "China is real — has real economic difficulties. And the reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two boxcars full of spy equipment in it is he didn’t know it was there. No, I’m serious. That’s what’s a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn’t know what happened," Biden said, according to the official White House transcript. The clash over Biden's remarks comes one day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken finished his visit to Beijing, where he met with Xi amid mounting tensions between the two nations.