Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Lima on Nov. 16 to discuss a "range of bilateral, regional, and global issues," the White House said.
Biden met the Chinese leader on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, marking his last meeting with Xi before leaving office in January 2025.
"President Biden condemned the deployment of thousands of (North Korean) troops to Russia, a dangerous expansion of Russia’s unlawful war against Ukraine with serious consequences for both European and Indo-Pacific peace and security," the White House statement read.
Pyongyang has deployed around 11,000 troops to reinforce Moscow's troops in Russia's Kursk Oblast, in addition to already provided artillery and missiles.
China, a close partner to both Russia and North Korea, has claimed it had no knowledge of the troop transfer, though some experts disputed this statement.
Biden also "expressed deep concern over (China's) continued support for Russia’s defense industrial base." While claiming neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war, China has become Russia's leading source of dual-use goods, helping to sustain the Russian defense industry amid the invasion.
The German media outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) recently reported that the EU obtained evidence that this support has expanded to "lethal aid," specifically the production of attack drones.
During the meeting, Xi claimed that China's position regarding the war has "always been fair and square," the Xinhua state news agency reported. The Chinese president also said his country would "not allow conflict and turmoil to happen on the Korean Peninsula" and that Beijing would "not sit idly by" while its strategic interests are endangered, Xinhua wrote.
Biden is concluding his term before the inauguration of his political rival and former president, Donald Trump, whose return to the White House may significantly impact Russia's war in Ukraine and security worldwide.
Martin Fornusek
