Shortly after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a diplomatic mission to China aimed at de-escalating tensions, President Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator" during a California fundraising event on Tuesday. Biden also revisited the incident of the Chinese surveillance balloon that traversed US airspace earlier this year, suggesting that Xi was embarrassed by the balloon's deviation from its intended course.

This remark came just a day after Blinken's meeting with Xi, where the two sides reportedly agreed on the importance of stabilizing the US-China relationship. Blinken characterized the discussions as a "positive step" towards improving bilateral ties. Over the weekend, President Biden expressed his desire to engage with Xi in discussions about fostering cooperation between the two nations.

The President's visit to California included a series of four fundraising events, as he actively ramps up his campaign for the 2024 election.