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New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins disagrees with Biden, says Xi Jinping not a ‘dictator’
- Hipkins, who is heading to Beijing this week, said he doesn’t believe the Chinese leader was a dictator
- Biden also said Xi was very ‘embarrassed’ when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down over US airspace early this year
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New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, ahead of his official trip to China at end of this month, said on Thursday he did not agree with US President Joe Biden’s remark that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was a dictator.
“No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people,” Hipkins told reporters.
Asked by a reporter whether the Chinese people had a say in the form of government, Hipkins said: “if they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them.”
Hipkins is expected to visit China from June 25 to 30, leading a trade delegation that includes some of New Zealand’s biggest companies. He will meet President Xi, Premier Li Qiang, and the chairman of the standing committee of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji.
China hit back on Wednesday after Biden referred to Xi as a “dictator”, saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, following top US diplomat Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing to stabilise bilateral relations.
Biden also said Xi was very embarrassed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was blown off course over US airspace early this year, making a personal comment on the Chinese leader when Blinken said on Monday the “chapter” should be closed.
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