
Chinese President Xi Jinping told his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Friday that conflicts and confrontations such as the events unfolding in Ukraine are in the interests of no-one, according to Chinese state media.
State-to-state relations cannot advance to the stage of confrontation, and conflicts and confrontations are not in the interests of anyone, Xi told Biden on a video call.
“The Ukraine crisis is something that we don’t want to see,” said Xi.
Xi said China and the United States must guide bilateral relations along the right track, and both sides should also shoulder due international responsibilities and make efforts for world peace.
Biden was expected to tell the Chinese leader that Beijing would pay a steep price if it supports the invasion.
The call lasted just under two hours, the White House said.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Biden would make clear to Xi that China will bear responsibility if it supported Russia’s “aggression” and that Washington “will not hesitate to impose costs.”
Blinken said the Biden administration was concerned China was considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment for use in Ukraine, something Beijing has denied.