Key US, China meet in focus amid Russia's war on Ukraine

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Russian war on Ukraine is likely to dominate the Monday meeting between key officials of the US and China in Rome.

Yang Jiechi, foreign affairs chief of the ruling Communist Party of China, will meet Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser of the US president.

While Washington and its allies have imposed severe economic sanctions on Moscow, Beijing has restricted itself from condemning the war that began on Feb. 24, and has instead stressed on dialogue to resolve the conflict.

It is the first top-level meeting between US and China since Chinese President Xi Jinping held a virtual meet with his American counterpart Joe Biden last November.

The two sides will exchange views on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common concern, according to China's Foreign MInistry.

In Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said the meeting agenda “will include ongoing efforts to manage the competition between our two countries and … the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on regional and global security."

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry, reiterated at a news conference in Beijing that China “opposes any unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction by the US, and will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese firms and individuals.”

“The US is spreading disinformation about China on the Ukraine crisis,” Zhao replied, when asked about a report saying Moscow had sought help from Beijing on arms supply.

“China is willing to play a constructive role in promoting negotiations” between Moscow and Kiev, he added.