‘Big mistake’ – Biden rebukes Xi for absence from climate summit

U.S. President Joe Biden has criticized Xi Jinping for his absence from the COP26 UN climate summit. That Xi failed to attend the summit was a „big mistake,“ Biden said in Glasgow on Tuesday night. „We showed up, and by showing up we’ve had a profound impact on how the rest of the world is looking at the US and its leadership role,“ Biden said, stating that the rest of the world will now ask what contribution the People’s Republic has made. Xi had only released a written statement at the start of the summit; he did not transmit a video message.