Biden dodges Chinese balloon question, boasts he met Xi 'more than any other world leader'

US President Joe Biden on Saturday, February 4, made no formal comments about the Chinese spy balloon floating over the US airspace but repeated the narration about his trip with Chinese President Xi Jinping. As he headed to Philadelphia, Biden dodged the question about the escalating spy-balloon situation and instead bizarrely spoke at length about First Lady Jill Biden's cheering on a hockey fight.

Biden later mentioned the Chinese President's name in private and public remarks to Democratic National Committee members.

'We [Xi Jinping and Biden himself] were in Tibetan Plateau': Biden 

“I’ve always believed you could define America in one word. I spent a lot of time with Xi Jinping when I was vice president,” Biden said in his evening speech to DNC members," Biden told the gathering, according to a readout of his speech published by the White House. “I travelled 17,000 miles with him [Chinese president]. I met with him more than any other world leader,” the President of the United States noted. 

“We [Xi Jinping and Biden himself] were in [the] Tibetan Plateau and he looked at me and said, ‘Can you define America for me?’ I mean it sincerely, I give you my word as a Biden. And I said, ‘Yes, one word, possibilities.’ That’s why we in many cases are viewed as the ugly Americans, because we think anything is possible," said Biden. 

Amid the laughter and applauds, and inquisitive reporters attempting to get reaction on the Chinese spy balloon, Biden said that his wife, Jill Biden is out in California campaigning. "And she told me last week — she said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to — I’m going to the Eagles games,'" he said. “No, I don’t mind.”  I said, “How about me?” She said, “No, I’m taking little Hunter” — Beau’s — my deceased son’s son," he furthermore stressed. 

“Because, Joe, you just get in the way. You cause too much trouble," US President quoted his wife as telling him.

Biden then revealed to the crowd that he had "no intention" of running again as the President of the United States. As he emphasized that America is laying a foundation in the ever-changing world, President Biden went on to describe his experience with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "When I was with Xi Jinping — I spent more time with him than any other world leader has," he noted, adding that of the total more than 89 hours that he spent with the Chinese President, 68 were in person.

Biden also awkwardly claimed that former US President Barack Obama "knew" that Xi Jinping "was going to be president." Biden continued that he travelled over 17,000 miles with Xi.  "And we were in — in the — on the Tibetan Plateau," he continued to add. The US president noted that he "defined" America to the Chinese President. "I said, 'Yeah, I can, in one word: possibilities. Possibilities.' Because that’s what made us the 'ugly Americans' because people — we think we can do anything if we set our mind to it.  But it’s also who we are," said Biden. The US president throughout his address, made no mention of the balloon.