US President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese Xi Jinping on Friday, mainly about the war in Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday.
“The two leaders will discuss how to deal with the rivalry between the two countries, the Russian war in Ukraine and other issues of common concern,” the White House said.
Jane Psaki's spokesman stressed that the dialogue between Biden and Xi was “part of an ongoing effort to open lines of communication between the United States and China”.
The Chinese regime refused to blame its ally Moscow for invading Ukraine, and denounced the worsening tensions of NATO over expansion in the east.
US officials have warned that China has amplified Russian misinformation that could serve as an excuse for Putin's army to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. Reports rejected by the Kremlin are reports that Russia has asked China to help face sanctions and aggression in the face of harsh resistance from Ukrainians.
The invitation was a fierce seven-hour meeting in Rome between White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi.
At the meeting, Sullivan asked for more transparency about Beijing's position on Russia and reiterated that China's attempt to help Russia avoid sanctions would be costly for Xi's government.
News in development
(Includes information from Agence France-Presse and Associated Press)