WASHINGTON – As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to wage war in Ukraine, President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are preparing to talk on the phone Friday about managing competition, and other issues of mutual concern, according to the White House.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met earlier this week in Rome. Sullivan had met with Jiechi in Switzerland in October. Earlier this month, Sullivan warned China to avoid helping Russia.
“This is an opportunity to assess where President Xi stands,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Putin and Jinping have shown a united front and met in Beijing just before the Feb. 24 invasion. China’s Foreign Ministry released a statement on Tuesday describing China’s position on the war in Ukraine as a promoter of “de-escalation” and of an end to the conflict.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department accused five Chinese operatives of targeting Chinese dissidents in the U.S. The Biden administration has also warned China could face “severe” consequences for assisting Russia and later called out China for “endorsing” Russian “propaganda.”
Meanwhile, another U.S. citizen was killed in Ukraine, according to the U.S. State Department.
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Torres contributed to this report from Miami.