U.S. President Joe Biden will speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping by phone on Friday and warn of the "costs" Beijing will face if it takes actions supporting Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
The two leaders will hold talks for the first time since Russia launched the invasion of its neighboring country on Feb. 24, amid growing concerns in Washington that Beijing is considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment to use in Ukraine.
"President Biden will be speaking to President Xi tomorrow and will make clear that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs," Blinken told a press conference Thursday.
He also said the United States believes China has a responsibility to use its influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin and to defend the international rules and principles it professes to support.
But Blinken noted that so far, it appears that China is moving "in the opposite direction" by refusing to condemn the aggression, while seeking to portray itself as a "neutral arbiter."
Upon announcing the planned phone call between Biden and Xi, the White House said in a statement that the talks are part of ongoing efforts to maintain "open lines of communication" between the two countries, with the discussion also expected to touch on managing the competition between the world's largest and second-largest economies.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Xi will exchange views with Biden on China-U.S. relations and issues of "common concern," according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Earlier this week, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome to convey the "significant consequences" Beijing could face for any actions that support Moscow's war effort or stave off the impact of economic sanctions imposed by Washington and its allies and partners.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told a press conference Thursday that the engagement between Biden and Xi had been discussed in the Rome meeting.
Russia's invasion has met stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces, with the United States and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization members providing security and financial assistance to help Kyiv fight back.
The Financial Times has reported that the United States told allies that China signaled its willingness to provide military assistance after Russia requested equipment, including surface-to-air missiles, to support its invasion of Ukraine, citing officials familiar with American diplomatic cables on the exchange.
In response to such media reports, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has insisted that the United States has been spreading "disinformation."
Russia began the military campaign after asserting that its security was under threat from NATO's eastward expansion and the possibility of Ukraine joining the security alliance.
A few weeks before the start of the invasion, China and Russia declared that their friendship has "no limits" in a joint statement following a meeting between Xi and Putin.
When the U.N. General Assembly adopted a nonbinding resolution censuring Russia in March, China was among the 35 countries that abstained from voting.
