Top German diplomat tags China’s Xi Jinping as ‘dictator’; Beijing hits back

Speaking on a live show, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock tagged Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator. Beijing was quick to respond to the comment, saying that the statement was “open political provocation.”

The German diplomat has often criticised Beijing, saying that it was quickly becoming a “systemic rival than a trade partner,” as per Reuters. Xi was also called a dictator by US President Joe Biden.

Baerbock, speaking to Fox News, made the statement while speaking about Russia’s war in Ukraine. “If Putin were to win this war, what sign would that be for other dictators in the world, like Xi, like the Chinese president,” she asked.

The German Foreign Minister that China had disrupted the “fundamentals of how we live together in this world,” Reuters reported.

The news comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is heading to Russia for security talks after two days of meetings with US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser over the weekend in Malta.

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