US President Joe Biden says he told Chinese President Xi Jinping it would be a “gigantic mistake” if they violate sanctions against Russia after their invasion in Ukraine, reports Al Jazeera.
The US president said he spoke with Xi after China’s leader met Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Winter Olympics in February. Russia attacked its neighbour shortly thereafter.
Biden made the comments in an interview with American broadcaster CBS that aired on Sunday.
US leader said, “I told him: ‘If you think that Americans and others will continue to invest in China based on your violating the sanctions that have been imposed on Russia, I think you’re making a gigantic mistake. But that’s your decision to make.’”
The call was “not to threaten” the Chinese president but to warn about the consequences of ignoring Western sanctions, Biden added.
“Thus far, there’s no indication they’ve put forward weapons or other things that Russia has wanted,” Biden said of China.
China’s deep reliance on trade with the West means Beijing will not want to do anything that deters its economy, analysts say.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
