“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, a warning that comes at a time of deepening acrimony between the two nations.
The call lasted just under two hours, the White House said.
Earlier, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told MSNBC that Xi should tell Russian President Vladimir Putin “to end this war of choice, this war of carnage” in Ukraine.
“China needs to stand on the right side of history. It needs to ensure that it does not backfill, financially or in any other way, sanctions that have been imposed on Russia,” she told CNN.
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.” Russia says it is carrying out a special military operation in Ukraine.
Speaking on Thursday, Blinken said the Biden administration was concerned China was considering directly assisting Russia with military equipment for use in Ukraine, something Beijing has denied. Washington is also concerned that China could help Russia circumvent Western economic sanctions.
