BEIJING, September 18. /TASS/. Beijing has issued a protest to Berlin over a recent remark by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock who called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a "dictator," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

According to Mao Ning, China condemns and rejects the recent statements by the German side as irresponsible rhetoric that contradicts facts, undermines the diplomatic protocol and is a political provocation." "China has already issued a note of protest via diplomatic channels," the Chinese diplomat added.

In an interview with Fox News on September 15, Germany’s top diplomat pledged that the West would support Ukraine "as long as it takes" as she asked rhetorically "what sign would" a potential Russian victory "be for other dictators in the world, like Xi." She did not elaborate exactly on what such a sign would be for the Chinese leader.