US President Joe Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in a video conference on Friday of “implications and consequences” should China support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while Xi assured Biden that his country did not want the war.
The highly anticipated call was the first conversation between the two leaders since Russia’s invasion last month.
“President Biden detailed our efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, including by imposing costs on Russia,” the White House said in a statement. “He described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
The brief White House statement described the conversation as “focused” on Ukraine, but much lengthier summaries released by the Chinese side portrayed a more wide-ranging discussion, including “the situation in Ukraine.”
China said the US had requested the call.
Xi told Biden that the invasion “is not something we want to see,” the Chinese summaries said, adding that “the events again show that countries should not come to the point of meeting on the battlefield.”
The two-hour conversation was an opportunity for Biden to assess where Beijing stands on the war and how Xi views his country’s role, after some Chinese officials issued conflicting statements on their respective support for Ukraine and Russia.
Biden pointed out to Xi in detail the response to Russia’s invasion from governments around the world and companies including Visa and Mastercard, a senior US official who briefed reporters after the call on condition of anonymity said.
“While we have not asked companies to take specific steps, you look at Russia and what’s happened there, and what the implications have been for the Russian economy of companies pulling out, and that’s certainly something for every country to watch as they’re making decisions about which side of this conflict they’re going to stand on,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told briefing after the call.
Psaki said the US would now watch for Beijing’s reaction.
“Actions are a key part of what we’ll be watching,” she said. “What we would project or convey to any leader around the world is that the rest of the world is watching where you’re going to stand as it relates to this conflict.”
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