Biden says he told Xi aiding Russia would put him in ‘significant jeopardy’

‘I think that China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the west than it is to Russia’

US President Joe Biden says he warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping that taking any steps to aid Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine would put him and his country in “significant jeopardy”.

Speaking from Nato headquarters in Brussels, Mr Biden was asked if he has seen any indication that China will or will not intervene in the conflict to aid Russia.

The president did not respond directly, but instead referred back to the two-hour conversation he had with Mr Xi last week.

Mr Biden said he did not threaten Mr Xi, but “[made] sure he understood the consequences of him helping Russia”.

“I made no threats, but I pointed out the number of American and foreign corporations [that] left Russia as a consequence of their barbaric behaviour,” he said.

Mr Biden recounted that he’d had “long discussions” with Mr Xi about the Chinese leader’s interest in “economic relations and economic growth with Europe and the United States,” and told reporters he’d “indicated” to Mr Xi that he’d be putting “himself” and “those aims” in “significant jeopardy” if he moved forward with any actions to help Russia mitigate the sanctions imposed by the US, Nato, and the European Union.

“I think that China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the west than it is to Russia,” Mr Biden said. “And so I'm hopeful that he does not get engaged”.