Biden urges China to prod Russia as Xi cautions against conflict
BNN Bloomberg
Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured U.S. President Joe Biden that his country didn’t want war in Ukraine during a highly anticipated, two-hour videoconference on Friday, their first conversation since Russia’s invasion last month.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured U.S. President Joe Biden that his country didn’t want war in Ukraine during a highly anticipated, two-hour videoconference on Friday, their first conversation since Russia’s invasion last month.
Xi told Biden that the invasion “isn’t what we want to see,” according a report from state-run Xinhua.
The White House has not yet issued a statement on the call.
The videoconference began shortly after 9 a.m. Washington time and ended just before 11 a.m. It was an opportunity for Biden to assess where Beijing stands on the war and how Xi views his country’s role, after some Chinese officials issued conflicting statements on their support for Ukraine and Russia.
Xi also told Biden that the relationship between China and the U.S. “shouldn’t resort to arms” and that “conflicts and confrontations are not in anyone’s interest,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“We should not only steer China-U.S. relations forward on the right track, but should also shoulder our international responsibilities,” the Chinese leader added, according to Xinhua.
