Biden calls Xi 'dictator' after cautious remarks on Taiwan

Off-hand comment risks souring ties with Beijing after carefully planned summit

U.S. President Joe Biden greets Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Filoli Estate, 45 kilometers south of San Francisco. © Reuters

KEN MORIYASU and YIFAN YU, Nikkei staff writers

November 16, 2023 05:03 JST

Updated on November 16, 2023 17:25 JST

SAN FRANCISCO -- After months of preparations and a carefully choreographed four-hour meeting on the outskirts of San Francisco on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping sought to send a message of stability to the rest of the world.