Biden, Xi to discuss war in Ukraine - White House

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and China's support for Russia's defense industrial base during an upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Peru.

A senior U.S. administration official shared this information during an online briefing, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The President [Biden] intends to use this meeting to discuss areas of difference and how to manage those differences in the period ahead. I expect the President will express deep concern over the PRC's support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as the deployment of over 10,000 DPRK troops to Russia, where they have begun engaging in combat operations with Russian forces," the official said.

He emphasized that the United States is increasingly concerned about the consequences of this deployment for longer-term stability in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

At the same time, the U.S. official did not rule out the possibility of further sanctions targeting Chinese entities and individuals that continue to support Russia.

"I think that is going to be a continuing topic of conversation, not just in this bilateral meeting, but a task for the next administration as well — how we continually work to try to limit that support for the Russian defense industrial base and, by extension, the war in Ukraine," the official said.

Biden and Xi are scheduled to meet on Saturday, November 16, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru.

Archival photo: The Hill