KENTFIELD, Calif. – President Biden said Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping is a dictator who got upset when the Chinese spy balloon was shot down in February because he didn’t know about it.
“The reason Xi Jinping was so upset when I shot down that balloon with two box cars full of spy equipment is that he didn’t know it was there. No, I’m serious. That was the big shame for to dictators, when they didn’t know what was going on,” Biden told a group of 130 donors at a fundraising event in Kentsfield, California.
“This was not supposed to go where it was. It was diverted to Alaska and then to the United States and he didn’t know it. When he was shot down, he was very embarrassed and denied that he was even there,” added the president
He also told the audience that they should not worry about China.
“By the way, I promise you, don’t worry about China. Worry about China, but don’t worry about China. I really mean it. China is in real economic trouble,” Biden said.
Biden saturday he said that the Chinese spy balloon situation was “more embarrassing” for Beijing than “intended”. The balloon spent several days floating over the US, before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina. Beijing he swore at the time of taking countermeasures.
Biden mentioned on Tuesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in China, saying he did a good job working on relations with the country.
“Now we’re in a situation where he wants to be in a relationship again. Antony Blinken just went there … he did a good job and it’s going to take time,” he said.
