White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended President Joe Biden’s Friday call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, even though the communication did not yield any commitments from the Chinese to not aid Russia in its war on Ukraine.
Biden himself told CNN after the call that he believes it “went well.”
But neither the White House’s nor the Chinese Communist Party’s readouts of the call mentioned any specific pledges from China not to meet Russia’s request for military and financial aid.
“This was not about carrots,” Psaki told reporters when asked about the president’s characterization of the call. “It was about having an ongoing dialogue about” Russia’s invasion.
“I think it was an opportunity for the president to convey directly what our detailed efforts have been, what we have seen on the ground, how we have responded to the invasion, why we have the significant level of concern that we have, and also to convey very directly, leader to leader, what the implications and consequences would be if Russia provides material support,” she said. “That leader to leader engagement and opportunity for there to be a continuing discussion, certainly the president sees that as a positive development.”
Psaki was repeatedly pressed on what specific steps Biden told Xi the United States might take against China, but she did not offer any additional details.
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You can watch Friday’s briefing in full below.
