Germany: Xi Jinping a "dictator". China summons the German ambassador

  The Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned the German ambassador to this country to ask for explanations regarding recent statements by the German Foreign Minister, ... Annalena Baerbock, who called President Xi Jinping a "dictator", said Berlin, in The latest flare-up of tensions between the countries. Baerbock made the remarks in an interview with Fox News on Thursday during a visit to the United States. Confirmation that China had summoned the German ambassador, Patricia Flor, came after China said last Monday it was "strongly dissatisfied" with Baerbock's remarks. “The comments are extremely absurd and constitute a grave violation of China's political dignity and an open political provocation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a daily news conference. In June, Beijing reportedly rebuked the US ambassador to China after President Joe Biden also called Xi a "dictator".

Germany is taking a tougher line on China and, in July, published a new policy against a more "assertive" China after months of wrangling within the government over its strategy. He strikes a subtle balance between the two different positions in the coalition government, calling Beijing a “partner, competitor, systemic rival.” Baerbock, of the Green Party, called for a tougher stance and greater emphasis on human rights, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, argued for a more pro-trade position. China's Foreign Ministry called the German Foreign Minister's remarks against Xi Jinping's policy "absurd and seditious." The German Foreign Minister called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dictator" in an interview. According to the EuroNews agency, the insult by the head of the German diplomatic service against Xi Jinping was accompanied by a harsh reaction from Beijing. Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced today his official opposition to the Berlin declaration, calling it "negligence". This spokesperson called Baerbok's words "clear political sedition" and said that these statements are very absurd and meaningless and dishonor China's political reputation. The German Foreign Minister said: "If Putin won the war in Ukraine, what would this mean for other dictators in the world, such as Chinese President Xi?"