The heads of state of China and the USA, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, want to speak to each other directly on Friday for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
(Photo: AP)
Beijing US President Joe Biden and China’s head of state Xi Jinping want to talk on the phone at 2 p.m. German time on Friday to talk about the war in Ukraine. In the run-up to the planned talks, the United States again threatened China with consequences if it provided military support to Russia in the war in Ukraine.
It would be the first direct talks between Biden and Xi since November and follows a meeting Monday between national security adviser Jake O’Sullivan and China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome.
Monday’s meeting was the first direct exchange between the two superpowers since war broke out in Ukraine. Meanwhile, observers are divided as to whether the phone call that was scheduled so soon after the talks in Rome is a good or a bad sign.
The call between Biden and Xi on Friday is said to be about “managing the competition between our two countries, as well as Russia’s war on Ukraine and other issues of mutual interest,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday in an explanation. From the Chinese side, there was only talk of an exchange of views between Xi and Biden “on China-US relations and issues of common interest.”
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According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the US wants to make it clear in the call that China bears responsibility for any measures it takes in support of Russian aggression. “We are concerned that China is considering directly supporting Russia with military equipment for use in Ukraine,” Blinken said.
China has so far denied such plans. Washington also fears that China could help Russia circumvent economic sanctions imposed by Western states. The US would not hesitate to impose costs on China if necessary, Blinken stressed.
Biden calls Putin a ‘war criminal’
China has a responsibility to exert its influence on Putin and to demand compliance with international rules. However, it seems that China is doing the opposite. So far, the US government has provided no evidence that China supports or plans to support Russia. China’s foreign ministry has described the allegations from the US as disinformation.
China refuses to speak of a Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Chinese leadership continues to avoid speaking of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. She describes her stance as neutral. De facto, however, China supports the Russian position, and official statements always refer to Russian security interests. In the UN General Assembly, a large majority of states had disapproved of the invasion of Ukraine, while China abstained. China also condemns Western sanctions against Russia.
However, Chinese leaders and companies have so far been wary of supporting Russia. China’s financial institutions have been closely following the sanctions imposed by the West, according to an analysis by Alicia García Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at investment bank Natixis.
China has also apparently refused to supply Russian airlines with aircraft parts, Russian news agencies reported last week, citing an official at the Russian Aviation Administration. Western manufacturers Boeing and Airbus had previously stopped supplying components.
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