Kremlin says Biden calling Xi a 'dictator' shows U.S. unpredictability

He said Biden's comment was an "incomprehensible" follow-up to what he described as "various conciliatory statements" during Blinken's visit. "However, that's their business," Peskov said. "We have our own bad relations with the United States of America and our very good relations with the People's Republic of China." Beijing hit back at the United States on Wednesday, saying Biden's remarks were absurd and a provocation.

Russia said on Wednesday that U.S. President Joe Biden's reference to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a dictator showed U.S. foreign policy was inconsistent and erratic. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was a contradiction between Biden's comment and the efforts of his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to lower tensions with Beijing at a meeting with Xi earlier this week.

"These are very contradictory manifestations of U.S. foreign policy, which speak of a large element of unpredictability," Peskov told reporters. He said Biden's comment was an "incomprehensible" follow-up to what he described as "various conciliatory statements" during Blinken's visit.

"However, that's their business," Peskov said. "We have our own bad relations with the United States of America and our very good relations with the People's Republic of China." Beijing hit back at the United States on Wednesday, saying Biden's remarks were absurd and a provocation.