The Biden administration made a carefully orchestrated gamble this week, issuing a series of public and private threats to Beijing that it will face consequences if it supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The strategy was capped by a tense, seven-hour meeting in Rome on Monday between U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi.
But having fired loud diplomatic salvos at Beijing, Biden administration officials are still debating the next steps to take to ensure China does not help Russia evade Western sanctions or supply weapons to Moscow as casualties mount in Ukraine.