President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping in a video call on Friday, as Russia continues escalating its war in Ukraine.
The exchange lasted 110 minutes as the United States president pressed China not to assist Moscow economically or militarily.
The White House said Biden outlined “the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia” during his conversation with Xi.
The president also reaffirmed the United States policy on Taiwan, the White House said, and “continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo.”
But it remains unclear whether Biden elicited any commitment from the Chinese not to assist Russia.
China’s Foreign Ministry said after the call the Ukraine crisis was “not something we want to see” and called for peace.
“The events again show countries should not come to the point of meeting on the battlefield,” they said in a statement. “Conflict and confrontation are not in anyone’s interest. Peace and security are what the international community should treasure the most.”
The Chinese government did not condemn Russia’s actions, one thing that the Biden administration wanted to see.
Prior to the president’s call, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki expressed concerns China “echoed some of the conspiracy theories about chemical weapons” and said Biden would use his conversation with Xi to assess where China stands in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sherman said the United States hoped China would choose the “right side of history” in the conflict, and not help Russia survive the sanctions with economic and military support.
The White House threatened China earlier this week with “significant consequences” if they did offer military or economic assistance Russia.
“It’s a question of where you want to be as the history books are written,” Psaki said during the press briefing on Thursday.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.