TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) had a nearly two-hour video conference on Friday (March 19).
While Biden reportedly did not directly request that Xi persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the invasion, he implied consequences if China provides material support to its neighbor.
Biden "underscored his support for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis," according to a White House statement. Taiwan was mentioned during the call, as expected, but the president reiterated that U.S. policy on Taiwan is unchanged and conveyed his country's long-standing stance that it "opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo."
Biden and Xi agreed on maintaining open lines of communication and managing the competition between the two countries, the statement read.
According to Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, Xi told Biden that he has observed a significant change in the international situation and increasing challenges to peace.
Xi said the Ukraine crisis "is not something we want to see" and that "conflict and confrontation are not in anyone's interest," according to Xinhua. The statement has been interpreted by some as an attempt to downplay China's role in the Ukraine crisis and whitewash the attack. According to Western intelligence, Xi was aware of the attack against Ukraine well before it happened and asked Putin to wait until after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
