Two of the most infamous dictators in the world are calling each other such while otherwise also inflaming the rhetoric that could lead to war. Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping a “dictator”, to which Beijing retorted that such a comment was “open provocation” and “absurd.”

Any president, ruler, king, or master (although all those words are interchangeable) is a dictator. They make demands, the slaves will comply or they will be forced to comply under “law” punishments.

Speaking on Tuesday at a fundraiser in California, Biden made the comments when he addressed the controversy surrounding a Chinese balloon that entered US airspace earlier this year, suggesting that Xi did not know the vessel was even there. “That’s a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened. That [balloon] wasn’t supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course,” he said at the time, according to a report by RT. 

China: The U.S. Will Face “Consequences” If Spy Balloon Propaganda Continues

After Biden’s comment about Xi, China retorted that the claim that China’s master is a dictator is “absurd.”

On Wednesday, speaking at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning described the remarks as “extremely absurd,” adding that they “seriously violated China’s political dignity.” She said that such statements also violate diplomatic etiquette and contradict basic facts. “It is an open political provocation,” Mao stressed.

The spokeswoman also reiterated China’s position that the balloon, which Washington has insisted was seeking to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, strayed into U.S. airspace due to “force majeure factors.”

“The US side distorted the facts and abused force, fully reflecting the U.S.’ bullying and hegemonic nature,” she said.

The back-and-forth between China and the US comes shortly after a landmark visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing, where he met with Xi and other senior Chinese officials.

On Monday, the top US diplomat stated that both countries had achieved “progress” towards putting their bilateral relations back on track. Blinken also vowed that the US would “responsibly manage” competition with China so that their relationship “does not veer into conflict,” according to the State Department.

During the meeting with Blinken, Xi said that Beijing “respects US interests and does not seek to challenge or displace the United States,” adding that Washington also “needs to respect China” and not hurt its legitimate rights and interests. -RT.

The U.S. and China have been slowly inching toward a conflict, and the ongoing rhetoric (while truthful, because both are dictators) is not going to help much.