China summons German envoy after foreign minister calls Xi a dictator

The German Foreign Office in Berlin confirmed on Monday evening that Ambassador Patricia Flor had been summoned for a meeting on Sunday.

Baerbock added: “Therefore Ukraine has to win this war. Freedom and democracy have to win.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing on Monday that the remarks were “extremely absurd, seriously infringing on China’s political dignity, and are an open political provocation.”

Mao added that China disagreed with Baerbock’s comments on Xi and had contacted Germany through diplomatic channels to address the issue.

She refused to comment in more detail when asked by reporters.

‘Warrior queen’ Baerbock makes her last stand against Beijing

Diplomatic relations have been tense between the two trading partners.

This summer, the German government announced its first-ever China strategy document which calls for reducing Germany’s dependence on China.

However, the government says it does not want to “decouple” from the world’s second-largest economy, as China is extremely important to Germany’s export-oriented economy.