President Joe Biden talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping for over two hours on Friday morning, with the two leaders discussing China's connections to Russia amid the Ukraine crisis.
Biden cautioned Xi Jinping on Friday of consequences if China provides material support to Russia during the invasion of Ukraine. He also reiterated that the U.S. policy toward Taiwan "has not changed," according to the White House.
Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Discuss Russia-Ukraine War
The call, which began at 9:03 a.m. ET, was taken by Biden in the Situation Room at the White House. At 10:53 a.m., the call came to an end. According to the White House, Biden addressed the United States and its allies and partners' perspectives on the problem, per Fox News.
Biden also brushed off queries about his message to Xi after making remarks about a new government health research initiative on Friday. Xi stressed the "serious problems" throughout the world shortly after the conference ended, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Conflict and confrontation are not in anyone's interest", Xi Jinping said during his video call with Biden, as per the Republic World. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying, at the high-level meeting, President Xi stated that the world is now "neither tranquil nor stable," and that the two countries must bear responsibility to lead it to peace.
It's worth noting that the two leaders' discussion takes place as the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its 23rd day on Friday. China's reaction to Russia's conflict in Ukraine has been chastised by U.S. officials.
China has also spoken out against the plethora of sanctions imposed on the Vladimir Putin-led government on several occasions. Previously, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Russia made misleading claims about the Ukraine war in a tweet, accusing China of backing the propaganda.
China Accused of Helping Russia Amid Intensfied Sanctions
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping's conversation on Friday came only days after a meeting in Rome between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi. The said meeting between Sullivan and Yang was described by a senior administration official as an "intense, seven-hour discussion," per CBS News.
The Biden administration has "serious worries about China's alignment with Russia" as it continues its attacks in Ukraine, according to an official who briefed reporters on Sullivan's meeting. Furthermore, Sullivan was said to "direct" about the ramifications of "certain acts."
Sullivan raised a range of topics in U.S.-China relations, with extensive discussion of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, according to the White House. They also emphasized the importance of keeping open channels of communication between the two countries.
Wendy Sherman, the Deputy Secretary of State, is meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to the United States. Qin Gang arrived at the State Department on Friday, hours after Biden's meeting with Xi.
While many countries have distanced themselves from Russia in the aftermath of its three-week invasion of Ukraine and have banded together to impose severe sanctions on Moscow, Russia has turned to China for support and military aid and equipment, according to two US officials who spoke to CBS News earlier this week.
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