Biden to call China’s Xi to discuss economic competition

President Joe Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to discuss the ongoing economic competition between the two countries and Russia’s war on Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the upcoming phone call in a statement Thursday that said it “is part of our ongoing efforts to keep lines of communication open” between the United States. and China.

The call follows an intense seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior China foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi.

US officials have warned that China has amplified Russian disinformation that could serve as a pretext for Putin’s forces to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. There are also reports – denied by the Kremlin – that Russia has asked China for help as it faces sanctions and an invasion that faces fierce resistance from Ukrainians. .

At the meeting, Sullivan wanted more transparency on Beijing’s position on Russia and reiterated that any attempt by China to help Russia avoid sanctions would be costly for Xi’s government.