The president of United States, Joe Bidenwarned his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Friday that if he helps Russia in its war against Ukraine he will have to bear the “consequences”, in a conversation in which Beijing does not seem to have shown signs of joining the condemnation of the invasion.
Biden warned of “consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it carries out brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians” in a videoconference meeting that lasted almost two hours, devoted essentially to the war in Ukraine, the White House said in a brief statement.
Biden did not specify what retaliation China would be exposed to if it helps Russia, but instead “detailed” the harsh economic and financial sanctions imposed by the West on the government of the Russian president, Vladimir Putinaccording to the US presidency.
An American official said that Biden was “frank and direct” with his counterpart, a diplomatic way of saying that the conversation has not been overly cordial.
The statement from the White House It took nearly four hours for the meeting to end, but China was quick to give its side of the conversation about the “crisis” or “situation” in Ukraine, never mentioning a war.
“The Ukrainian crisis is not something we would have wanted” to happen, he said. Xiquoted by Chinese television when the conversation was not yet over.
The Chinese president called on his counterpart to “work for peace and tranquility in the world” with him, according to the same source.
The United States urges China to distance itself from Russia but Beijingaccording to the statements released during and after the meeting, opt for a certain ambiguity.
“Dialogue”
China asked the United States and NATO to hold a “dialogue” with Russia on the “security concerns” of Moscowin a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released after the conversation.
Thus, he takes up an approach by Putin, who justifies the invasion of Ukraine by saying that he has to protect his country against what he considers to be the expansionist will of the NATO.
The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China it also calls in vague terms for “big countries” to “respect each other” and warns, in a very general way, against any kind of “broad and indiscriminate sanctions” that could “paralyze a world economy that is already in trouble and cause irreparable loss.
It was the fourth meeting between the two leaders since Biden, 79, became president of United States.
Biden spoke with him from the “Situation Room”, an ultra-secure room in the White House from where the United States carries out the most risky operations and the most difficult negotiations.
“Now we are going to be aware of the actions” of Chinasaid Jen Psaki, a White House spokeswoman.
For Biden, the two superpowers compete economically and strategically, but they must dialogue so that this is not a factor of chaos at the international level.
But if China openly supports Russia, with arms deliveries or economic and financial agreements that allow it to partially circumvent harsh Western sanctions, its position would change.
Xi Jinping He took advantage of the call to warn Biden that “mismanagement of the Taiwan issue would have a negative impact on the bilateral relationship.”
Biden “reiterated that US policy on Taiwan has not changed” and “insisted that the United States remains opposed to any unilateral change to the status quo.”
Taiwan, a democratic country, lives under constant threat from China. Since the seizure of power by the communists in Beijing In 1949, the nationalist government fled to the island, which the Chinese executive considers one of its provinces destined to return to its territory, albeit by force.
The United States diplomatically recognizes Beijing and not Taipei, but sells arms to Taiwan so that it can defend its territory.
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