The scheduled phone conversation between the two leaders at 9:00 (13:00 GMT), the first between them since a video summit in November, will be an opportunity to express their countries’ differences, at a time when the United States is leading an unprecedented pressure campaign against Russia, which puts China in Geopolitical stalemate.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said it was “an opportunity for President Biden to assess President Xi’s position.”
Trade disputes and faltering international supply chains will also be discussed, according to Psaki, but the major focus is expected to be on the Western attempt to force Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, as the invasion ordered by President Vladimir Putin enters its fourth week.
Biden succeeded in mobilizing a tight Western alliance against Russia, coinciding with providing military support to the Ukrainian forces, but Beijing refused to condemn Moscow, and Washington feared that the Chinese would turn to providing full financial and even military support to Russia, which would turn the confrontation in Ukraine into a global conflict.
Beijing is able to help Russia counter the pressures on its banks and currency, which will then put Western governments before a painful decision whether or not to impose sanctions on China, which could potentially lead to turmoil in global markets.
The White House was silent on whether Biden would threaten China with sanctions during his phone call, but there is some kind of response on the table.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Biden “will make clear that China will take responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russian aggression and will not hesitate to impose costs.”
He said he hoped China would use “whatever influence it has to force Moscow to end this war,” noting that he was “worried that they are thinking directly about helping Russia” with military aid.
The phone conversation between Biden and Xi comes after US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Communist Party chief diplomat Yang Jiechi held what the White House called a “substantial” seven-hour meeting in Rome this week.
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