“This is an opportunity for President Biden to assess the position of President Xi,” Psaki said. There was a “lack of Chinese condemnation of what Russia is doing,” which, she added, “says a lot” around the world.
The Biden administration has made it clear to Beijing that it is “deeply concerned” about any alliance with Russia, she said, adding that reports that China could supply Russia with military equipment were “very worrying.”
As the invasion continues into its fourth week, China’s efforts to not antagonize either Russia or the West look increasingly untenable, some experts say, as pressure mounts on Beijing to use its influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s economic ties to Russia. to bring about an end to the fire. Biden is expected to pressure Xi to persuade Putin to stop the attack.
The story continues under the ad
Beijing is in a difficult position, said David Schullman, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. “This war is a huge disruption at a terrible time for China,” he said. “Beijing doesn’t know how this will end… They don’t see an opportunity right now – they’re in a quandary and they’re trying to find a way out of it.”
Earlier this week, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held an “intense” and “candid” seven-hour meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Rome to discuss the possible implications of any assistance Beijing might give Moscow.
“We are concerned,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Thursday, “that they are considering direct assistance to Russia with military equipment for use in Ukraine.” He issued an unequivocal warning to China, saying that “we will not hesitate to take the costs” if Beijing supports Russian aggression.
The story continues under the ad
“We believe that China, in particular, has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and protect the international rules and principles that it claims to uphold,” Blinken said. “Instead, it seems that China is moving in the opposite direction, refusing to condemn this aggression, trying to portray itself as a neutral arbiter.”
China has struggled to strike a balance between maintaining its “borderless” strategic alliance with Russia – as both sides described the partnership in February – and salvaging its relationship with Western countries. Beijing’s silence amid overwhelming international condemnation of the invasion has prompted critics to label China as an accomplice in the Kremlin’s actions.
In recent weeks, Chinese officials have changed their tone, distancing themselves slightly from Moscow. While state media and statements do not refer to Russia’s actions as an “invasion,” Xi first called the conflict a “war” in a speech last week with his German and French counterparts, and the Chinese ambassador to the United States wrote in — in The Washington Post that “[h]If China had known about the impending crisis, we would have done everything possible to prevent it.”
For the most part, however, China’s position remains unchanged. In official comments and editorials by Chinese state media published prior to the phone call, Beijing declared its unwillingness to change its stance of generally recognized neutrality – neither approving nor condoning Russia’s actions, while supporting Moscow’s statements about security problems and blaming the US and NATO for the crisis.
The story continues under the ad
“Both sides want to make sure the other side has no doubts about its firm position,” said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University, who said he did not believe the call would have a “significant positive impact” on U.S.-China relations. .
“Both Beijing and Washington will understand each other’s positions. All these realizations will further aggravate the confrontation between the two countries,” he added.
Referring to China’s behavior since the start of the conflict, Psaki pointed to the country’s abstention in the UN Security Council vote on the war and its repeated unsubstantiated claims by US biochemistry labs in Ukraine. “The question is where do you want to be when writing history books,” she said, prompting Chinese officials to quickly strike back.
The story continues under the ad
“The claim that China is on the wrong side of history is powerful. It is the United States that is on the wrong side of history,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. tweeted.
Hua said that if the United States “refrained from repeatedly expanding NATO and promised that NATO would not accept Ukraine and fan the flames by supplying weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, the situation would be very different.” She added that many countries draw their own “independent conclusions” on the conflict.
Ahead of the meeting, the state-run Global Times, citing an anonymous Chinese government official, reported that Beijing agreed to the White House-initiated meeting out of considerations of bilateral relations and a desire to “urge the United States to take the right stand.” Psaki said the call was “mutually agreed”.
Xi’s promise that China would not violate international sanctions against Russia would be a victory for Biden. But observers say that while Chinese companies have largely complied with the sanctions, China is unlikely to make such a promise.
The story continues under the ad
“This call is unlikely to result in any significant change in China’s position,” said Amanda Xiao, senior China analyst at the International Crisis Group. “He won’t pressure Moscow for a settlement or openly support sanctions because Beijing probably expects its relationship with Washington won’t improve even if it does.”
According to Psaki, other topics besides Ukraine will also be discussed. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Friday that the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong passed through the Taiwan Strait in a provocative move shortly before the call.
Beijing claims that democratic Taiwan, a United States ally on high alert after the Ukraine crisis, is part of its territory and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary.
Flight Tebo contributed to this report.