President Joe Biden will warn his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday that he will face “costs” if Beijing rescues fellow authoritarian ally Russia from intense Western sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two leaders’ first phone call since a video summit in November will be a chance to air differences as the United States spearheads an unprecedented pressure campaign on Russia, placing China in a geopolitical bind.
It’s “an opportunity for President Biden to assess where President Xi stands,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Trade rows and snarled international supply chains will be discussed, according to Psaki, but a big focus is expected to be the Western bid to force Russia from Ukraine, where President Vladimir Putin’s invasion is in its fourth week.
Biden has successfully marshalled a tight Western alliance against Russia, while giving military support to Ukrainian forces.
But Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow and Washington fears the Chinese could switch to full financial and even military support for Russia, transforming an already explosive transatlantic standoff into a global dispute.
Not only could Beijing potentially help Russia weather crippling pressure on its banks and currency, but Western governments would then face the painful decision of whether or not to impose sanctions against China, likely prompting turmoil on world markets.
The White House was tight-lipped on whether Biden will threaten China with sanctions during his call, but some sort of response is on the table.
Biden “will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression and we will not hesitate to impose costs,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
He hoped China would use “whatever leverage they have to compel Moscow to end this war,” the top U.S. diplomat said.