President Biden’s remarks came after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit. The pair emerged with several agreements, including one to reestablish military communications and one curbing the Chinese export of chemicals used for the production of fentanyl. On Wednesday evening, Xi Jinping mingled with leaders of corporate America, including Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook, at a lavish reception. Hours after their meeting, Biden ratcheted up tensions with China when he called President Xi a “dictator.”

President Joe Biden: “I mean he’s a dictator in the sense that he is a guy who runs a country that is a communist country that’s based on a form of government totally different than ours. Anyway.”

Earlier today, Beijing responded to Biden’s remarks, calling them “irresponsible political manipulation.”