Biden to speak with China’s Xi Jinping on Friday

It will mark the first time the two leaders have spoken one on one since Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement outlining details of the meeting.

"President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will speak with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) this Friday," she wrote. "This is part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC. The two Leaders will discuss managing the competition between our two countries as well as Russia’s war against Ukraine and other issues of mutual concern."

During a press briefing later in the day, Psaki stated that the call was "mutually agreed" upon by both parties.

This will be the second meeting this week between US and Chinese government officials. On Monday in Rome, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi.

On Monday, news broke that Russia had allegedly asked China for military assistance, a situation that the United States has repeatedly threatened China with sanctions and other penalties to avoid.

As The Hill reports, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken noted that China is "refusing to condemn [Putin's] aggression while seeking to portray itself as a neutral arbiter." He added that the United States believes China "has a responsibility to use its influence with President Putin and to defend the international rules and principles that it professes to support."