Boris Johnson has urged China’s president to join world efforts to ensure “Putin fails”, in the first conversation between the two leaders about the Ukraine crisis.
The prime minister spoke with Xi Jinping for 50 minutes, as part of Western efforts to heap pressure on Beijing to toughen up its stance on the month-long war Russia launched.
China’s position has been described as neutral by some observers – but Vladimir Putin’s key ally has failed to criticise the war and is believed to have been asked, privately, to help Russia.
In a terse readout, a No 10 spokesman said only that they had discussed “a range of issues of mutual interest”, including the situation in Ukraine.
“It was a frank and candid conversation lasting almost an hour. They agreed to speak again soon,” the spokesman said.
A government source told The Independent the call had been an attempt by Mr Johnson to “put pressure on the Putin regime to withdraw troops”.
“Of course, he would have set out that we have called on all world leaders. in all countries. to do everything they can to ensure what happens in Ukraine can’t continue and that Putin fails in what he’s trying to do,” the source said.
However, it is understood that the issue of possibly extending sanctions to China – if it agrees to help Russia’s war effort – was not discussed.
The US has raised fears that Beijing will provide Moscow with economic and financial support and is also contemplating sending military supplies such as armed drones.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK trade secretary, appeared to say London would follow Washington in imposing sanctions if that happened, although No 10 distanced itself from the comment.
Suspicions were raised that China had advance warning of the invasion after it began one day after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics – and after a visit by the Russian president.
A joint statement from Putin and Mr Xi said the bonds between the two countries had “no limits” and there were “no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation”.
However, when China abstained from voting on a UN security council resolution which would have condemned the invasion – rather than use its veto – the West saw that as a positive sign.
China has expressed support for both Russia’s “security concerns” and Ukraine’s sovereignty – as it seeks to build trade ties with the invaded country.
Joe Biden, when he spoke to Mr Xi last week, said he had pointed out that US and other foreign corporations were already pulling out of Russia because of President Putin’s “barbaric” behaviour.
“I made no threats, but I made sure he understood the consequences of him helping Russia,” the US president told a news conference on Thursday in Brussels.
“I think that China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the West than it is to Russia.”
