BEIJING — While Chinese state media have tacked away from primarily pro-Russian coverage of the war in Ukraine, one of the consistent messages remains: Blame the U.S.

Chinese President Xi JinpingU.S. President Joe BidenThey will speak on Friday, Beijing time, about bilateral relations. “issues of common concern,”Chinese state media reported late Thursday

It would also mark the first formal contact between U.S. Presidents and Chinese presidents after Russia invaded Ukraine in late Februar.

A lot of Chinese state media coverage has taken place since then. focused on negotiations between Russia and Ukraine,The conflict was not referred to as either an invasion or war. China’s foreign minister refused to label Russia’s aggression on Ukraine as an invasion and blamed the U.S. instead for “fueling” tensions.

This criticism was not abandoned.

People’s Daily was the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper. On Friday, a headline about Friday’s Xi-Biden conference appeared in a bolded, prominent spot on its front page.

Below it were several lines of text from the editorial board. It read as follows: “Sticking to double standards’ will only bankruptcy U.S credibility,” according to the headline. This was CNBC’s Chinese translation.

China’s national television station reported on Thursday that the U.S. was planning to send Ukraine $800 million of military aid. Also, clips were shown in which Putin blamed Western nations for global economic inflation.

Unnamed analysts warned that raising interest rates during high inflation and uncertain times by the U.S. Federal Reserve only increases the danger of global debt default.

The half-hour news broadcast was focused mainly on domestic issues, such as China’s ability to contain the Covid-19 epidemic, which is a common practice in Chinese media.

While state media statements regarding the Xi­Biden conference did not mention Ukraine in particular, the White House announcementThis topic was planned for discussion.

The U.S. has tried to seperate its relations with China from their discussions of the Russia-Ukraine war in the past by publishing records of contacts between top-ranking U.S. officials and Chinese officials. Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister, made clear last week that he was very concerned about the situation in Ukraine. China’s relationship with RussiaIt was just as strong as the time Xi and Vladimir Putin, Russian President Vladimir Putin, met to issue a joint declaration in February.

Beijing tried to present itself as being in a good relationship with Russia, while also working with European nations and other countries to facilitate peace. This is especially true when the country faces increased tensions. sanctions on Russia by the U.S., EU and other countries.

Teneo Consulting stated that Beijing has only acted rhetorically in supporting Moscow’s cause, in a March report.

Gabriel Wildau (senior vice president, Teneo) noted that the rhetoric had changed on Friday. “In recent days there have been indications of a shift within state media coverage. This could reflect Beijing’s effort to distance itself form Moscow.”

He pointed out how China’s English-language broadcaster of state television has covered civilian casualties due to Russian attack, while its Chinese-language counterpart has been reporting on Ukraine’s military victories.

It provides more details than Chinese officials have provided about Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis. As of Wednesday, at least 780 civilians have been killed — including 58 children — since Russia’s attack began on Feb. 24, according to United Nations data.

Beijing last week announced six points to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Premier Li Keqiang also said China is “deeply concerned”About the current situation in Ukraine

A slight shift by Chinese media away from Moscow-centric messaging also targets a U.S. audience.

An op-ed published in the Washington PostQin Gang was China’s ambassador in the United States. He stated Wednesday that China had “assertions about, acquiesced, or tacitly supported” this war.

Most prominently: The New York Times early on March 3 Beijing time cited U.S. and European officialsAccording to reports, senior Chinese officials warned their Russian counterparts early February that they would not invade Ukraine during the Winter Olympics.

Qin stated Wednesday that there are more than 6000 Chinese residents in Ukraine.

He stated that “Conflicts between Russia and Ukraine do no good for China.” We would have done everything we could to stop China from becoming a victim of the crisis.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley and Macquarie cited Wednesday’s rallies in Hong Kong stocks and Chinese mainland stocks as being influenced by the oped.