The Kremlin on Wednesday said that U.S. President Joe Biden's reference to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a "dictator", shows the contradictions and unpredictability of U.S. foreign policy.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia had "bad" relations with Washington and "very good" ties with China.
Beijing hit back at the United States on Wednesday, saying Biden's remarks were absurd and a provocation, in an unexpected spat immediately following efforts by both sides to lower tensions.