Biden seems to accelerate the decline of the US hegemony every time he draws breath.

Posted by: scepticalSOB | Nov 16 2023 14:03 utc | 3

If America is democracy in action then, the sooner the end happens, the better.

Posted by: Merkin Scot | Nov 16 2023 14:04 utc | 5

#1 ..way..way too many “f*ck ups” by pretender/actor “jb” since his(s)election 11/04/2020…will they remove him this month???… Mr.Xi is it worth to talk to “jb”?????……Russians do not think so..why talk to “EMPIRE OF LIES”…..

Posted by: sejmon | Nov 16 2023 14:05 utc | 7

Chinese Foreign Ministry on Biden’s statement today that President Xi is a “dictator”: “Such rhetoric is completely incorrect and constitutes irresponsible political manipulation. China strongly opposes this.”

Posted by: Apollyon | Nov 16 2023 14:07 utc | 9

This is a strange reading and top level post worthy analysis, B.
1 – Xi is a dictator within the CPC. This is not even disputed in China.
2 – Joe is underlining, for a second time for the global audience of would be “partner” “dictators”, that USA, aka “The Empire”, will do deals with you regardless of your “system of government”.
3 – We heard nothing from a contender for the “just” leadership of the world, and champion of “multi-polarity” about Israel openly giving the finger to any notion of international law or global consensus.
–
How it works: On one side, we have e.g. Fox News telling us how the elite have “sold out to the Chinese”. On the other side, we’ll have focus on trivial, entirely non on sequential, verbiage that does nothing to diminish the strategic agreements between the lords of the Western plebes and lords of the Easter plebes. As for the “Global South”, here is your bone: Joe called Xi a dictator. But dear “RoW”, note that Joe didn’t say “We don’t deal with dictators”, or “we wont’ “share a road” holding hands with a dictator”.
No, “RoW”, contrary to what B is thinking, Joe and Xi just “communicated” to their “peers”. Now back to your program.

Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 14:10 utc | 11

I think we needed to get more of Biden’s remarks that are in the BBC link b provided to see why China’s representative responded as she did:

Mr Biden also said Mr Xi was embarrassed after an alleged Chinese spy balloon was shot down by the US.
China said it “firmly opposes” Mr Biden’s comments.
“The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset, in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it, was he didn’t know it was there,” Mr Biden said at the event on Tuesday.
“That’s a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn’t know what happened,” he added.

That’s the part that went beyond the pale for China, and understandably so.

Posted by: juliania | Nov 16 2023 14:23 utc | 13

Biden drops another diploturd! Hours after meeting Xi of China the old man calls him a dictator – again! The US have a collective neurosis in which they need to immediately self-sabotage any diplomatic interaction which threatens to improve relations with an “adversary”. They’re given diplomacy a new word in its dictionary – the “diploturd”.

Posted by: Andrew Sarchus | Nov 16 2023 14:23 utc | 15

toadieinthehood doesn’t know shit about China.
Wait for it: the low quality troll who lives in mama’s basement will now assert he lives in China and is married to a Chinese communist.
These low quality shilling per post trolls are so predictable.

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 16 2023 14:23 utc | 17

In Russia and China it is hard for voters to change the political top personnel – but you can make them change their policies – a strike, for instance, may actually lead to substantially higher wages. In the US, it is easier to change the president – but with minor variations, they all stand for the same policies…

Posted by: grunzt | Nov 16 2023 14:25 utc | 19

For those that don’t know. China has a tiered election system.
Candidates are elected locally. They have to be popular to win the election, but the communist party can block a candidate from running. So, there are elements of popular democracy and elements of top down control.
The locally elected body can produce candidates for higher tiers, which are voted on by the local representatives. Up to the National People’s Congress, the highest body of elected representatives, which passes laws and appoints top officials.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_People%27s_Congress
The CCP maintains a two thirds communist party and one third independent ratio in the NPC.
It’s neither properly democratic nor undemocratic. Those are western labels that represent western conventions that don’t really capture what China is doing.

Posted by: team10tim | Nov 16 2023 14:27 utc | 21

To be fair to Biden the Destroyer, he was just speaking American language and explaining that because Xi is the leader of a communist country, that means he is called a Dictator in American, Biden doesn’t seem to have been trying to insult Xi in this case, just that his American conception of what words mean and what things in the world are is by nature- offensive language.
Anyone who isn’t the United States her vassals or puppets is called a ‘Dictator’, certainly anything ‘socialist’ rather than plutocratic is a ‘communist tyranny’ etc.
Its like the only USian word for an animal that isnt an eagle would be “Prairie Dog” even if you’re acruallt looking at a dolphin, splashing around in the sea.

Posted by: Lonkal | Nov 16 2023 14:28 utc | 23

One guy is an autocrat who wanted my employer to fire me if I didn’t get a novel, unproven pseudo-“vaccine” against an illness that posed minimal risk and against which I’d already developed natural immunity prior to the rollout of the “vaccines”. The other guy is Xi Jinping.

Posted by: Sentient | Nov 16 2023 14:31 utc | 25

The reporter’s question was ignorant, childish, calculated to provoke/score points-attention, not to elicit information.
Similarly, the Chinese responder would have been wiser to chide the reportage rather than his exalted majesty Pres. Brandon.

Posted by: ChasMark | Nov 16 2023 14:32 utc | 27

China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called Mr Biden’s remarks “extremely absurd and irresponsible”. Speaking at a regularly scheduled press conference on Wednesday, she said that the comments were “an open political provocation” that violated diplomatic etiquette.
here is US ‘etiquette’
Here is your new leader
we chose him just for you
the other guy is gonna die
and we’ve arranged a coup
our good and faithful minions
share all of our opinions
so if you want to live
here’s what yer gonna do
Arrest our competition
and buy our submarines
and force your population
to submit to our vaccines
just do as you are told
don’t make us use the stick
for we can be quite ruthless
when we want to be a prick.
US THUG Diplomats

Posted by: ld | Nov 16 2023 14:32 utc | 29

The American system is better because it allows the most capable and ethical people to rise to the top in government.
Stop laughing.

Posted by: Sentient | Nov 16 2023 14:36 utc | 31

Posted by: juliania | Nov 16 2023 14:23 utc | 7
1. Your news is old news, June 21, 2023. You should make that clear. Are you trying to hoodwink people here?
2. How did Old Fool Joe know Xi had been embarrassed? Old Fool doesn’t even know which way to get off podiums.

Posted by: KitaySupporter | Nov 16 2023 14:38 utc | 33

What inhabitants of a Country led by a Communist party think of their own regime (that is, whether they call it a “democracy” or not) is irrelevant. In fact, every Communist Country self-styles as a “democracy”. It’s part and parcel of the fraud and
oppression.
What is relevant here is that Xi is not a Stalin-style guy, who is in power and will have his wishes executed, or else. Rather, it appears that this uniparty system has an extremely complex representation system, albeit gravely limited in its scope, that has, in fact, chosen Xi as its leader.
Biden is, therefore, wrong. Xi is no more a dictator than Gorbachev was. But certainly, both of them are expression of a Country that cannot be called “Democratic” in the Western understanding of the term.
Biden should not be holding press conferences.
The little dyke with the curly hair should do it for him.

Posted by: Augusto Pi | Nov 16 2023 14:42 utc | 35

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 16 2023 14:23 utc | 9
It is sad, B, that only responses to critical comments in your blog are addressed by members of the detachment of ad-hom brigade. Gruff, you are a person of “low character” and that is also conclusive comment on your “content”.
The fact remains that China and US arrangement — a collaboration between two “different form[s] of government” (that’s a quote) — that started with Nixon and Mao continues and will continue.
But taking a clue from the “content” level of not-basement-dwelling Gruff, here is the “i am 5 years old” level discourse: “look at what people do not what they say”.
In any event, Gruff and fellow brigands, note the post was directed at B. The criticism was a comment about the choice of topic for Bernhardt, not you Gruff.

Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 14:51 utc | 37

B:
No, China is certainly in “deep deep do do” !!!!!

Posted by: Mr. Market | Nov 16 2023 14:52 utc | 39

Posted by: juliania | Nov 16 2023 14:23 utc | 7
Pentagon came out to say the balloons weren’t spy devices only last month . So to create a narrative based upon how they were is standard bbc bare faced lies
https://www.reuters.com/world/chinese-spy-balloon-did-not-collect-information-over-us-pentagon-2023-06-29/

Posted by: Hankster | Nov 16 2023 14:59 utc | 41

Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 14:10 utc | 6
That’s quite an exhibition. Have you prepared Act II?

Posted by: sln2002 | Nov 16 2023 15:01 utc | 43

Lol, I was hoping for the end of WW3 and a new Yalta.
Ah well. Looks like we get Dirty Harry or Shane instead. Something that even the thickest demented Hollywoodised imperium understands in their own language in their own house.
‘Well you have a choice, do you feel lucky?’
Once a dirty thieving cheating cowardly punk always a degenerate arsehole like every single bought and installed ‘Democratic elected leader’ of our demented Collective Waste.
Biden has been a gobshite hair sniffing, child abusing degenerate his whole life just like his son.
Hopefully the demented meat muppet doesn’t actually have any power and the string pullers behind have got the surrender terms loud and clear and know there is no bargaining or cheating available, just some face saving bravado, which only a demented old man can get away with, that’s why Biden has been left in Office. He will not make it to the end of term. Kamala will get to be peacemaker signatory.
They better find a reverse gear sharpish. Find humility. The ability to accept the End of Empire gracefully.
Xi came alone to give the talk to them Mano a manos, directly to their faces so there would be zero misunderstandings.
He has done it so the 85% of the rest of the non 5 Eyed world will not to fail to see it.
It is as much a message for Modi, Erdogan, the fence sitting Sheiks and most of all, the African and Asia Pacific satraps.
They are the ones to decide if they will fight for the Old Masters or join the Multipolar.
They too are who Xi’s words are aimed at.
I am feeling a bit elated and positive for the first time in a few years.
Let’s see – wouldn’t it be a good thing if the flotilla in the Mediterranean starts collecting and dismantling the hundreds of bases and the Illegal Apartheid Regime as they return back to base and scrappage.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Nov 16 2023 15:05 utc | 45

Stupid Americans think that “democracy” means you get to vote once in a while. They ignore all the censorship and persecution of political opponents that goes on between votes. When the government can see you anytime, anywhere; can freeze your bank accounts; and owns the media, it’s not democracy.

Posted by: Gio Con | Nov 16 2023 15:09 utc | 47

From Walt Zlotow

White House, Senate, House all out of sync with electorate on Gaza
President Biden talks restraint and aid for besieged Palestinians, but pours in millions in weapons for Israel’s destruction and ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
      
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson attended the pro Israel rally in Washington D.C. Both offered total support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Schumer told the crowd “We stand with Israel. America feels your pain. We ache with you, we stand with you, and we will not rest until you get all the assistance you need.” He offered not a word a sympathy or aid to the 2.3 million Palestinians and their housing being systematically destroyed largely by US supplied weaponry.
Johnson was even crueler, responding “We stand with that” to crowd chants of “No ceasefire, no ceasefire.”
The top 3 US officials all ignore the electorate which favors immediate ceasefire. The Action for Progress and Reuters/Ipsos polls show 66% and 68% respectively favor ceasefire. The Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals support for Israel has dropped from 41% to 32% since the war started October 7. Just 31% favor US weapons for Israel compared to 43 opposed. A plurality, 39%, want the US to be a neutral mediator to end the war.
America has become a pariah worldwide thru its endless support of Israeli Apartheid, ethnic cleansing and destruction of the open-air prison Israel maintains in Gaza. It is bound by international law to protect, not destroy, the 2.3 million Palestinians imprisoned there under Israeli control. The US public is beginning to get that. The top 3 US leaders, Biden, Schumer and Johnson apparently never will.
Walt Zlotow
West Suburban Peace Coalition
Glen Ellyn IL

Posted by: erichwwk | Nov 16 2023 15:11 utc | 49

From Walt Zlotow

White House, Senate, House all out of sync with electorate on Gaza
President Biden talks restraint and aid for besieged Palestinians, but pours in millions in weapons for Israel’s destruction and ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
      
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson attended the pro Israel rally in Washington D.C. Both offered total support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Schumer told the crowd “We stand with Israel. America feels your pain. We ache with you, we stand with you, and we will not rest until you get all the assistance you need.” He offered not a word a sympathy or aid to the 2.3 million Palestinians and their housing being systematically destroyed largely by US supplied weaponry.
Johnson was even crueler, responding “We stand with that” to crowd chants of “No ceasefire, no ceasefire.”
The top 3 US officials all ignore the electorate which favors immediate ceasefire. The Action for Progress and Reuters/Ipsos polls show 66% and 68% respectively favor ceasefire. The Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals support for Israel has dropped from 41% to 32% since the war started October 7. Just 31% favor US weapons for Israel compared to 43 opposed. A plurality, 39%, want the US to be a neutral mediator to end the war.
America has become a pariah worldwide thru its endless support of Israeli Apartheid, ethnic cleansing and destruction of the open-air prison Israel maintains in Gaza. It is bound by international law to protect, not destroy, the 2.3 million Palestinians imprisoned there under Israeli control. The US public is beginning to get that. The top 3 US leaders, Biden, Schumer and Johnson apparently never will.
Walt Zlotow
West Suburban Peace Coalition
Glen Ellyn IL

Posted by: erichwwk | Nov 16 2023 15:11 utc | 51

1 – Xi is a dictator within the CPC. This is not even disputed in China.
Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 14:10 utc | 6
Proof please, of this non-disputation, or get in line with all the other bullshit artists.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Nov 16 2023 15:12 utc | 53

Posted by: team10tim | Nov 16 2023 14:27 utc | 11
Let’s try this again.
The point I raised has nothing to do with the nature of the governmental systems of US and China. It also has nothing to do with whether the characterizations by this or that leader of the other side is of any import.
The point I am raising is simple: The ruling elite of both sides are business partners and have been for at least 50+ years. Officially. And that an astute commentator like MoA blogger focusing on some stupid gimmick by US side and ignore the whales of the matter that just transpired.
A multi-polar order requires robust conflict resolution mechanisms that are not subject to unilateral control. Currently, there is a “mother of all test-cases for multi-polarity” in play that superpower China should definitely have some input on. What was the their input?
To ignore the possibility (in light of documented centuries of secret agreements and treaties known years after the fact as being a fact of geopolitical history) that maybe Abraham Accords and IRI and KSA peace making in Beijing are different prongs of the same overall global agreement between powerful stakeholders in various quarters.
5 years old: name calling is just that and not important. Uncle joe and uncle Xi had a 4 hour face to face kids and by all signs it was “productive”. Judging by the super uncomfortable weasel faces that Blinken made the deal may be devilishly sweet.
No word yet from “no limits” dear friend Putin who very officially called Western leaders not mere “dictators” but actual rob wearing “Satanists”.

Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 15:15 utc | 55

Not. Agreement. Capable.

Posted by: Northern Observer | Nov 16 2023 15:20 utc | 57

Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 14:51 utc | 18
China is not in the mood for bootlicking.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Nov 16 2023 15:21 utc | 59

The word ‘dictator’ is now loaded to mean Hitler, but compared to most Western ‘checks-and-balances’ setups (at least on paper), it appears both the Chinese and Russian Presidents are far closer to dictators.
I have seen scattered reports about recent deaths and absences of senior Chinese officials which look (from afar and without any detail) to be top-down reshufflings that are dictator-like.
I also assume (again without clear evidence) that all the money Biden’s family has been raking in from Chinese sources, including billions to manage and all no doubt connected to the Chinese government, makes it highly unlikely that he is anti-China or doing anything other than what they want.
Everything about the US/West is cognitively dissonant these days. Biden’s remarks were clumsy but if you read the whole statement part of his point – that the Chinese system is very different – is reasonable. Both China and Russia criticize the West day after day, speaker after speaker; it’s not a big deal, nor is Biden responding to a question in which the word ‘dictator’ was used. Plus US reporters are notoriously sound-bite seeking.
I would like to know more about the recent Cabinet level reshufflings and deaths in China but know I never will; and I would like to know more about the degree to which Biden is a Chinese-controlled puppet, but I know I never will.
Meanwhile, this sort of stuff feels like fluff.

Posted by: Scorpion | Nov 16 2023 15:24 utc | 61

Posted by: Augusto Pi | Nov 16 2023 14:42 utc | 17
the fucking US is not a democracy in the “western understanding of the term”, recycled Cold War horseshit rhetoric is not useful.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Nov 16 2023 15:25 utc | 63

Also happened in SF:
US and China agree to reopen communication links between militaries. The stumbling block to this was the refusal of Li Shangfu, the former Chinese defense minister who recently joined his comrade the Wolf Warrior diplomat into unknown fate and quarters

Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 15:32 utc | 65

There has to be some sort of a change that caused Xi to go to US to speak directly with whoever runs the US show or their spokesman. Perhaps we will find out what it was one day. Biden himself is nothing more than a mascot to place in front of TV cameras from time to time. It sure must be a worry for Blinken whenever Mr Dementia opens his mouth in public.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Nov 16 2023 15:32 utc | 67

Robin the clown. All the china trolls are floating up. They get mad when you point out their total ignorance of how China functions. How leaders move up the ladder in China is far more democratic than the US which elects people by oligarchs.
I have to wonder how these troll sleep at night? Is the money worth knowing that they stand with genocide in Palestine. Coups and wars in the Middle East Ukraine SE Asia, South and central. America by our pretend democracy? The # of genocides this so called democracy has committed is appalling

Posted by: Susan | Nov 16 2023 15:35 utc | 69

Arch Bungle @25
It is just empty nonsense from an ignorant troll who doesn’t know what he is posting about. It is just that line you quoted that is proof the troll has never been to China (except perhaps on a guided tour of “Ten Cities in Three Days”?), much less actually communicated in any way with one of the millions of CPC members. The level of ignorance displayed is so stunning (and brave?) that any serious response is wasted on it.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for the troll to provide proof for something he just pulled out of his arse… unless you’re trying to avoid the smell, of course.

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 16 2023 15:36 utc | 71

This is a strange reading and top level post worthy analysis, B.
1 – Xi is a dictator within the CPC. This is not even disputed in China.
Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 14:10 utc | 6
I disagree somewhat. The term ‘dictator’ is entirely subjective and fraught with emotional baggage. We in the West are brought up to despise “dictators” so that Biden calling Xi a dictator is simply an insult. China’s democracy is different from that of the West.
The fact is that the CPC chose Xi democratically. He is simply China’s leader. And, he is a very good leader while Biden is not.

Posted by: Tedder | Nov 16 2023 15:38 utc | 73

Too good to be true

Posted by: D2023! | Nov 16 2023 15:39 utc | 75

Posted by: ld | Nov 16 2023 14:32 utc | 14
“Here is your new leader
we chose him just for you
the other guy is gonna die
and we’ve arranged a coup
our good and faithful minions
share all of our opinions
so if you want to live
here’s what yer gonna do
Arrest our competition
and buy our submarines
and force your population
to submit to our vaccines
just do as you are told
don’t make us use the stick
for we can be quite ruthless
when we want to be a prick.”
And a final stanza:
Democracy has now slouched towards Oligarchy,
Rules, laws, morals are now decided arbitrarily,
As Genocide is now considered evolutionary,
While civilization slowly descends into Purgatory

Posted by: canuck | Nov 16 2023 15:43 utc | 77

A four hour meeting apparently, so somebody had a lost to discuss/negotiate with Xi.
A change of strategy for US?

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Nov 16 2023 15:44 utc | 79

Arrogance and ignorance is US.
Biden was selected by the DNC, by the donors not by the people in the primaries. Hillary was selected by the DNC in 2016, by the donors not by the people in the primaries, and they lied about it for years, ongoing, blaming Russia. The complying lying sycophantic press hid the steal for years as they drowned the public in a Russia-hatred blitzkrieg. These selections entailed cheating, lying and stealing. Democracy, big guy?
They will have to shuffle braindead Genocide Joe out now cuz the barbarism is too obvious and he calls it democracy. Pops probably calls 500,000 dead and 1 1/2 million wounded in Joe’s War in Ukraine, Democracy at work — with 10% for the big guy…
Fail. Own goal.

Posted by: suzan | Nov 16 2023 15:45 utc | 81

Biden is clever.
Now 99% of US media will fuss over whether name-calling Xi is “brave & honest” or a “first-class diplomatic gaffe”, and nobody will analyse what they actually talked about. The results speak for themselves – US is fully accepting Beijing’s demands. But you wouldn’t want the US public to notice would you?
The Chinese will diplomatically protest, while laughing at such childish chatter.
c.c.: We’ll hear about US carriers moving away and/ or withdrawal from Syria soon.

Posted by: smuks | Nov 16 2023 15:48 utc | 83

One guy is an autocrat who wanted my employer to fire me if I didn’t get a novel, unproven pseudo-“vaccine” against an illness that posed minimal risk and against which I’d already developed natural immunity prior to the rollout of the “vaccines”. The other guy is Xi Jinping.
Posted by: Sentient | Nov 16 2023 14:31 utc | 12
This is fun.
One guy is trying to jail his top competitor in an upcoming election by means of the intelligence agencies and political appointees in the courts. The other guy is Xi Jinping.

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Nov 16 2023 15:51 utc | 85

The only thing USA owners want from China is to allow FED to issue direct credits inside China and to open the doors widely to financial derivatives and institutions like Blackrock.
They don’t care an inch for politics or economy or ‘human rights’. That’s why both Trump ‘deals’ failed, Xi said anything is negotiable but that.
That is why Biden was there, Blinken was there, Jelen tried her turn also …
Without petrodollar, that would be the only blood line for USD to survive, but those dictators are so stubborn. Damn

Posted by: ldragon | Nov 16 2023 15:52 utc | 87

Thanks for the posting b
I wasn’t sure I caught the dictator line from Biden correct last night but the Biden hypocrisy has been confirmed.
Reading that Biden is telling stories about Xi not knowing the details about the China “spy ballon” is telling as well. While it is very likely that Xi didn’t know about the ballon until the US made a big deal of it, continuing the lie that it was a spy device, when your own government has said it wasn’t, shows signs of late stage flailing.
The meek shall inherit the earth…..grin…..while being called dictators by the bullies

Posted by: psychohistorian | Nov 16 2023 15:54 utc | 89

a collaboration between two “different form[s] of government” (that’s a quote) — that started with Nixon and Mao continues and will continue.
Posted by: robinthehood | Nov 16 2023 14:51 utc | 18
Excuse me. Where does the Republic of China fit into your understanding of collaboration?

Posted by: sln2002 | Nov 16 2023 15:55 utc | 91

In response to robinthehood@18,
As far as a surface level analysis goes, your view of the situation merits consideration, nor are you alone in viewing what appears to be serious cracks in US-China relations as a spectacle for the peanut gallery. Numerous political commentators, including prominent ones, have expressed a similar view. Incidentally, the same view has been expressed about US-Russia relations, with the notion that what is popularly perceived as major geopolitical shifts against imperialism and unipolarity are actually fully coordinated with global elites behind the scenes — it’s understandably an unpleasant perspective born of a deeply cynical mind, but a useful counterbalance to the other extreme of gullible idealism.
Having said all that, in order to substantiate the statement that US-China collaboration “continues and will continue” it surely wouldn’t hurt to define it in practical terms. To give an analogy; if marriage is a form of collaborative venture, it’s reasonable to assume that aspects of this collaboration continue even after divorce, but obvious that the terms for this collaboration have undergone a dramatic change. What at one point was seen as convenient, profitable, fair, desirable or even just tolerable, may become impermissible or starts coming with strings attached — in other words, the relationship enters into a phase of renegotiation.
If that is what we’re seeing unfold between the US and China, I would argue that it’s too early to disregard statements in favor of moves. This is, after all, a long and tedious process in interpersonal matters, and even longer and more tedious in international relations. Especially if, as the Chinese leadership appears to express, they would like to part with the US on good terms:

– There are 2 options for China and the U.S. going forward:
either 1) “enhance solidarity and cooperation and join hands to meet global challenges and promote global security and prosperity”
or 2) “cling to the zero-sum mentality, provoke rivalry and confrontation, and drive the world toward turmoil and division”
…
– He sought to reassure the US that “China does not have a plan to surpass or unseat the U.S. Likewise, the U.S. should not scheme to suppress and contain China.” The reason why is because “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the lessons we learned from 50 years of China-U.S. relations as well as the conflicts between major countries in history. China and the U.S. should put in a lot of efforts to follow them.”

Going by the US readout, I would agree with you that Biden’s “gaffe” about Xi isn’t so much a gaffe as par for the course. Had the US stance been conciliatory towards a more independent Chinese policy, with lots of flowery language and promises of changing its approach, it would make more sense to argue that Biden screwed something up. As it is, it fits perfectly in line with the terms dictated by the US at the summit. Or, in my analogy, an irate husband trash-talking their wife in public after an unsatisfactory divorce hearing.

Posted by: Skiffer | Nov 16 2023 15:57 utc | 93

ldragon | Nov 16 2023 15:52 utc | 44
I forgotten about that. US is desperate to sell more debt (treasuries?) so that is likely what the meeting was about.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Nov 16 2023 16:00 utc | 95

The People that control Biden, that is, those who prop him up for the teevee and tell him what to say, and cringe when he ad libs, those who make wickedly bad policy which has worsened the lives of the common people…
These people are dictators.

Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Nov 16 2023 16:00 utc | 97

2 different countries, 2 different takes. The one that calls the other
leader a “dictator” should take notice and start rearranging the seats
on the deck of the the “USS Shithole”
https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1724986395935346819
https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1724986395935346819

Posted by: Gazza | Nov 16 2023 16:01 utc | 99