Pictured here is a news broadcast in China of President Xi Jinping during a virtual summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in November 2021.
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BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping contacted U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday to wish the American leader a “speedy recovery” from Covid, according to state media.
Biden tested positive for Covid-19 and has “very mild symptoms,” the White House said Thursday. The U.S. embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment on the report.
China’s news agency Xinhua used “sends [a] message” to describe Xi’s contact with Biden.
Xi expressed his “deepest sympathies,” according to a CNBC translation of the Chinese state media report. The brief report did not mention whether the leaders communicated on other topics.
On Wednesday, Biden told reporters at a briefing he expected to speak with Xi within 10 days, but did not specify reasons or topics for a call.
The two leaders last spoke in March, mostly about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China has refused to call the attack an invasion.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that the official English language version of the state media report said Xi sent a message to Biden.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/22/chinas-xi-calls-biden-to-wish-him-a-speedy-recovery-from-covid.html