US contradicts Chinese Prez; says Xi-Biden aren't 'old friends & it's just pure business'

The White House on Tuesday denied that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are “old friends” contradicting the Chinese leader who called the US President close pal ahead of the crucial China-US virtual summit. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday appeared to dispute Xi’s choice of words and the fact that the two leaders are friends. "It’s the first time for us to meet virtually. Although it’s not as good as a face-to-face meeting, I’m very happy to see my old friend," Xi had said ahead of the summit via a translator before the meeting with Biden. 

Meanwhile, at an NPR news conference, Biden had claimed that he had travelled approximately 17,000 miles" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during his Vice Presidency in the Obama administration. When asked by Fox News’ reporter Peter Doocy whether the US president would consider himself a good friend with Xi Jinping, and would hence demand China to cooperate with the COVID-19 investigation, Biden replied: 

"Let’s get something straight: we know each other well, we’re not old friends. It’s just pure business,” according to Fox News. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Psaki reiterated that US President Joe Biden did not consider Chinese President Xi Jinping as “an old friend."

Jinping calls Biden 'my old friend', US President says 'thank you' 

Denying the Chinese President’s claim made via the interpreter that the two leaders were good friends, White House officials issued a statement Tuesday, 16 November saying that the US leader Biden isn’t “friends” with the Chinese President. Speaking through an interpreter, when China’s President Xi Jinping called Biden “my old friend", Biden responded by saying "Thank you". When asked about what President Biden implied and if the Chinese leader was mocking the US commander in chief, the White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates didn’t choose to answer directly but stressed that Biden doesn’t see Xi as an “old friend.” 

“I’m not going to speak for President Xi,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told reporters on Air Force One as he accompanied Biden to New Hampshire. “But like you just mentioned,” Bates added, “You’ve heard explicitly from the president himself, that he has a longstanding relationship with President Xi. They’ve spent a great deal of time together. They are able to have candid discussions, be direct with each other, which helps them be productive. But he does not consider President Xi an old friend.”