President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak Friday as concerns swirl regarding the growing closeness between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The phone call is part of his administration’s attempts to “maintain open lines of communication” between the United States and China, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
“The two leaders will discuss managing the competition between our two countries, as well as Russia’s war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern,” she said Thursday.
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The presidential call comes after national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Rome this week for seven hours. Yang is a Chinese Communist Party Politburo member and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission.
Earlier this week, Psaki was pushed on whether China had helped Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Reports indicate Moscow asked Beijing for equipment and supplies, including nonperishable pre-prepared meals for troops. The U.S. has also alleged China has amplified misinformation regarding biological weapon labs in Ukraine as Russia looks to its neighbors to alleviate some of the economic sanctions levied by the West.
“What was conveyed by our national security adviser in this meeting is that should they provide military or other assistance that, of course, violates sanctions or supports the war effort, that there will be significant consequences,” Psaki said.
The White House will watch China’s actions “closely,” according to Psaki. The press secretary also hinted at the possibility of coordinated sanctions.
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“If China were to decide to be an economic provider, or to take additional steps, there to Russia, they only make up 15% or 20, 15 to 20% of the world’s economy,” she said. “The G-7 countries make up more than 50%. So there are a range of tools at our disposal in coordination with our European partners should we need to use them.”
