On Monday, Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi of China will debate Russia-Ukraine.

 The Biden administration isn't happy that Beijing is siding with Moscow in the aftermath of Ukraine's unjustified attack, and it'll tell them so face to face.

Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, will meet with Yang Jiechi, China's top diplomat, in Rome on Monday to address Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the meeting is a long-planned follow-up to President Joe Biden's virtual conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November.

In a written statement, National Security Council spokesman Emily Horne said the meeting's agenda will discuss "ongoing efforts to manage the competitiveness between our two countries and... the implications of Russia's war against Ukraine on regional and global security." However, the administration has minimal expectations for a breakthrough in the Sullivan-Yang negotiations.

According to the source, "this meeting is not about negotiating any specific topics or conclusions." "This summit takes place against the backdrop of Russia's unjustified and barbaric war against Ukraine, as well as China's alignment with Russia to advance their own vision of the world order."

That wording shows the administration's displeasure with China's apparent strategic gain from a Russia-Ukraine confrontation. Beijing has resisted joining the international alliance urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the invasion.

Instead, the Chinese government has spent the last three weeks issuing vague pleas for a "peaceful resolution of the problem" while simultaneously criticizing penalties that could alter Russia's military strategy. As a result of this stance, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a bill on Monday to prevent China from assisting Russia in evading sanctions.

"To continue planning a robust, united international response to President Putin's war of choice," Sullivan will meet with Luigi Mattiolo, diplomatic counselor to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, while in Rome, Horne added.

Sullivan and Yang last met in person in October in Switzerland for a six-hour discussion that prepared the groundwork for the Biden-Xi virtual summit in November. After an ugly initial encounter in Anchorage in March 2021, that October meeting was crucial in resetting the tone of Sullivan and Yang's relationship.

"It's critical for PRC officials to hear directly from [Sullivan] about how we perceive things," the person said. "There are also a number of areas where we've been extremely focused on ensuring that we can manage the rivalry between the US and China, and I believe those will be areas where we'll continue past conversations and follow up on discussions [between the two presidents] in November."