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China has hit back after Germany's foreign minister called President Xi Jinping a dictator, reigniting tensions between Beijing and the West.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made the comments in an interview with Fox News during a visit to the United States last week.
When asked about Russia's war against Ukraine, she said: "If Putin were to win this war, what sign would that be for other dictators in the world, like Chinese President Xi?"
The Chinese government summoned Germany's ambassador to China, Patricia Flor, on Sunday to protest Baerbock's comments, a German foreign ministry spokesman told CNN on Monday.
China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing was "very dissatisfied" with Baerbock's comments and strongly opposes them.
" The remarks made by Germany are extremely absurd, seriously violate China's political dignity and are an open political provocation ," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on Monday.
The question about Baerbock's remarks and Mao's response are both missing from the official transcript of the conference later posted on the ministry's website.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry often omits content it deems sensitive from the transcripts of its regular announcements.
It is not the first time China has shown sensitivity to how foreign leaders refer to Xi as a dictator.
In June, US President Joe Biden also referred to Xi as a "dictator", prompting a backlash from Beijing./CNN
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