Biden will call on China to discuss economic competition

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

White House Press Secretary Jane Sackie announced the upcoming phone call in a statement Thursday that it was “part of our ongoing effort to maintain an open line of communication” between the United States and China.

The call came after an intense seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday between White House National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi.

U.S. officials have warned that China has increased Russia’s ambitions, which could be an excuse for Putin’s forces to invade Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. There are also reports – denied by the Kremlin – that Russia has reached out to China for help in the face of sanctions and strong Ukrainian resistance.

At the meeting, Sullivan called for more clarity on Beijing’s stance on Russia and reiterated that any Chinese effort to avoid sanctions on Russia would be costly for Xi’s government.