US President Joe Biden on Friday laid out the “consequences” of any support for Russia in its war against Ukraine to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The White House issued this warning as Beijing refused to join the Western condemnation of Russia’s invasion.
The remarks occurred during a nearly two-hour phone call between the world’s two largest economies, during which they discussed Ukraine, Taiwan, and their own relationship.
Biden outlined the implications and repercussions of China providing material support to Russia while it carried out brutal strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilians.
Chinese state television reported that Xi said the war was “in no one’s interest” and that “state-to-state relations cannot go to the stage of military hostilities.”
However, there was no direct criticism of the Kremlin and a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Xi saying “all sides” needed to support “dialogue” between Russia and Ukraine.
Xi had also appeared to put some responsibility for Russia’s invasion of its neighbour on the West. He said, “the United States and the North Treaty Organisation should have dialogued with Russia to address the crux of the Ukraine crisis and ease security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.”
The Chinese leader had consistently refused to condemn his fellow authoritarian ally, President Vladimir Putin, over the Ukrainian invasion.