White House backs China protesters, silent on calls for Xi removal

The Biden administration said Monday that Chinese protesters are right to call for an end to draconian COVID-19 lockdowns — without endorsing widespread calls for Beijing’s authoritarian President Xi Jinping to resign.

Videos published over the weekend showed large protests across China in the most significant challenge to Communist Party rule in more than 30 years — with crowds in the capital Beijing and largest city Shanghai chanting that Xi should step down.

Some footage showed protests descending into near-riots against police, while in pandemic epicenter Wuhan, protesters removed fencing reportedly intended for lockdowns.