Story highlights Xi makes "House of Cards" reference when talking about graft clampdown

China's President says country will take action on cybercrime

Hong Kong (CNN) Xi Jinping did something unusual, almost unheard of, for a Chinese President: He cracked a joke. In public.

Well, sort of.

Talking about his three-year crackdown on corruption in a speech during his visit to the United States Tuesday, XI insisted it was aimed squarely at stamping out graft and not purging political rivals.

This is not, he said, with a smile a "House of Cards" -- a reference to the Netflix blockbuster that charts the intrigue and treachery of Kevin Spacey's power hungry politico Francis Underwood.

Read More