Washington
The absence of a clear denunciation by China of what Russia is doing in Ukraine flies in the face of everything Beijing stands for, including the basic principles of the UN Charter and respect for the sovereignty of nations, the White House has said ahead of the much-anticipated call between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said China’s assistance to Russia in invading a foreign country was of significant concern and the response to that would have consequences.
Psaki announced on Thursday that Biden will speak with Chinese President Xi on Friday to discuss the ongoing economic competition between the two countries and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“This (the call) is an opportunity for President Biden to assess where President Xi stands. There has been, of course, rhetorical support, or the absence of clear rhetoric and denunciation – or the absence of denunciation by China of what Russia is doing. This flies in the face of everything China stands for, including the basic principles of the UN Charter, including the basic principles of respect for the sovereignty of nations,” she said.
“The fact that China has not denounced what Russia is doing, in and of itself, speaks volumes. It also speaks volumes not only in Russia or in Ukraine, but around the world. This call also comes as we have made clear our deep concerns about China’s alignment with Russia and the potential implications and consequences of that,” she said.
