Biden warns Xi of 'implications and consequences' if China provides material support to Russia

PTI

Washington/Beijing, March 19

US President Joe Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that there would be "implications and consequences" for Beijing if it chose to provide direct "material support" to Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine and increasing attacks on civilians, the White House has said.

The 110-minute secure video call on Friday was the first conversation between the two leaders since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The talks between Biden and Xi largely focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the implications for the US-China relationship and international order, a senior White House official told reporters.

"He (President Biden) described the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians," the White House said in a readout of the lengthy conversation between the two presidents.

Later, a senior Biden administration official refused to publicly detail what those consequences might be for Beijing, a close ally of Moscow.

"I'm not going to, sort of, publicly lay out our options from here," the senior official said.

Ever since Russia launched a 'special military operation' in Ukraine on February 24, China has been treading a fine line, declining to condemn it as an invasion.

The call between the two presidents was about making sure there is a "direct, candid and detailed and very substantive conversation at the leader level," the senior administration official said.

"President Biden detailed our efforts to prevent and then respond to the invasion, including by imposing costs on Russia," the White House readout of the meeting said.

Biden underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication, to manage the competition between our two countries, it said.

Biden and Xi also tasked their teams to follow up on their conversation in the critical period ahead, the White House said.

At the same time, President Xi underscored that there have been and will continue to be differences between China and the US. What matters is to keep such differences under control. A steadily growing relationship is in the interest of both sides, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Beijing.

On the situation in Ukraine, President Biden expounded on the US position, and expressed readiness for communication with China to prevent the situation from exacerbating, it said.

"China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine to come to this. China stands for peace and opposes war. This is embedded in China's history and culture," the statement quoted Xi as telling Biden.

"China makes a conclusion independently based on the merits of each matter. China advocates upholding international law and universally recognised norms governing international relations," Xi said.

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