Joe Biden made no specific demands to the Chinese, but detailed possible sanctions, the White House said.
On Friday, March 18, US President Joseph Biden held a video conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping and warned against Russian help in the war with Ukraine. The press service of the White House released the details on the official website, reports the Chronicle.info with reference to Focus.
According to the report, Joseph Biden described to Xi Jinping the consequences if China provides material support to Russia at that time. while the RF Armed Forces attacked Ukrainian cities and civilians. He also insisted on «a diplomatic solution to the crisis». The heads of state instructed their teams to continue the dialogue between the countries.
According to the WSJ, Joe Biden also expressed concern that the Chinese government is spreading misinformation by repeating «Russian false claims» on US support for biological weapons research in Ukraine. The US President said that China should influence Vladimir Putin to end the war, but as Xi Jinping's words show, Beijing decided to take a neutral position and help with negotiations to end the hostilities.
The WSJ writes that Xi Jinping denied US claims that Russia has turned to China for economic assistance or the supply of military equipment. The publication suggests that by mentioning a possible transfer of weapons, the White House hopes to attract the attention of the world community in order to complicate any assistance from the PRC.
As noted by ABC News, the leaders contacted by phone for the first time since November 2021 and talked for almost two hours. The Chinese authorities in their report called the conversation «constructive»: Xi Jinping said that the situation in Ukraine has escalated to a degree that Beijing does not want to see. «China has always stood for peace and against war», the statement says.
However, the country has not yet officially condemned the actions of the Russian Federation and has not even called them an invasion. According to Xi Jinping, China conceded to the US and NATO negotiations with Moscow. The Chinese President also criticized the anti-Russian sanctions, stressing that they make ordinary people suffer and can cause a global economic crisis.
«Xi doesn't want to push Moscow away, but he also doesn't want US-China relations to collapse, especially since the West is far more important than Russia to China's faltering economy,» Eurasia Group analyst Neil Thomas told WSJ. «Whether Xi can maneuver between Biden and Putin is a serious test for his leadership».
A senior White House official in an ABC commentary described the conversation as «direct» , «subjective» and «detailed», adding that Joe Biden and Xi Jinping spent «most of their time» to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, the head of the United States did not put forward any specific requirements for the PRC, only described possible sanctions.
«China must decide for themselves where they want to stand and how they want the history books to mention them and evaluate their actions. And this is a decision that must be made by President Xi and the Chinese,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained.