President Biden has reportedly threatened Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying the United States would punish Chinese firms should China assist Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden and Xi spoke for almost two hours Friday morning after reports that Russia asked China for both military and economic assistance.
“It appears that China is moving in the opposite direction by refusing to condemn this aggression while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. “We’re concerned that they are considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment to use in Ukraine.”
“China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs,” Blinken added.
Ahead of the call, Biden acknowledged he might have a hard time keeping China from helping Russia, as China’s leader won’t likely be swayed by an argument of preserving democracy.
“(Xi) does not believe devoting democracies can be sustained in the 21st century because things move so rapidly, technology’s changing so much, democracies don’t have time to arrive at consensus that’s why autocracies will succeed,” Biden said during a St. Patrick’s Day luncheon on Capitol Hill.
Following the call, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Xi told Biden “conflict and confrontation are not in anyone’s interest.”
The White House has not yet released a readout of the call.