China has lashed out at Germany after the country’s foreign minister called Xi Jinping a “dictator”.
Chinese officials also summoned Berlin’s ambassador for a dressing down after Annalena Baerbock made the remarks about Zi in an interview with Fox News during a US visit last week.
When asked about Russia’s war on Ukraine, she said: “If Putin were to win this war, what sign would that be for other dictators in the world, like Xi, like the Chinese president?”
The Chinese government summoned Germany’s ambassador to China, Patricia Flor, to protest Baerbock’s comments, a German foreign ministry spokesperson told CNN.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing was “strongly dissatisfied” with Baerbock’s comments and “firmly opposes” them.
Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said Baerbock's remarks were "extremely absurd" and infringed on China's political dignity.
"They are an open political provocation," Mao told a regular press briefing, adding that China had complained to Germany.
Baerbock is an outspoken critic of China.
In August, she said China posed a challenge to the "fundamentals of how we live together in this world". Earlier, she described aspects of a trip to China as "more than shocking" and said Beijing was increasingly becoming more of a systemic rival than a trade partner.
In June, President Joe Biden also called Xi a "dictator" a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to China aimed at stabilising ties.
At the time, China’s Foreign Ministry bristled at Biden’s comments, saying they “seriously contradict basic facts and seriously violate diplomatic etiquette.”
