Ukraine: China May Supply Arms to Russia, US Says | War in Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed deep concern about the intelligence he has on the potential Chinese support for the Russian military.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has intelligence that China is considering supplying arms and ammunition to Russia.
To date, we have seen Chinese companies […] providing non-lethal support to Russia for use in Ukraine. The concern we have now is based on information we have that they plan to provide lethal support, he said in an interview with the US network CBS on Saturday. /p>
Earlier in the day, Blinken met with Wang Yi, director of China's Central Foreign Affairs Commission, as part of the Munich Security Conference.
The US Secretary of State did not elaborate on what information he has about China's intentions. He, however, expressed deep concern, warning that such support for the Russian military would have serious consequences.
Vice President of the United States United, Kamala Harris, also expressed his concern during his remarks on Saturday.
“In the future, any steps taken by China to provide deadly support to Russia will only reward the x27;aggression, perpetuating the killings and undermining a rules-based order.
— Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
We are also troubled that Beijing has deepened its relationship with Moscow since the start of the war, Kamala said Harris.
Chinese President Xi Jinping still refuses to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. sanctions from the West, Blinken said. According to him, China is one of the biggest markets for Russian oil, gas and coal, and trade between the two countries has grown steadily since the start of the pandemic.< /p>
In January, the United States had also sanctioned a Chinese company, accused of having provided information to the Wagner group, a mercenary organization supported by Russia.
The meeting between Antony Blinken and Wang Yi took place against a backdrop of tension with the recent controversy surrounding the Chinese ball suspected of espionage. The US Secretary of State had also canceled his planned trip to Beijing earlier this month in the wake of events.
Start of the widget. Skip the widget? End of the widget. Back to top of widget?
During his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Wang Yi said he wanted to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. This war cannot continue to rage, he said.
The Chinese diplomat has also announced the intention of his country to unveil, on February 24, one year after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a plan for peace .
Wang Yi did not detail the content of this plan, but assured that it would reaffirm the need to respect the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, he mentioned that Russia's legitimate security interests must be respected.
These statements received a mixed reception. Annalena Baerbock, Germany's top diplomat, said China's intentions to use its influence with Russia to secure world peace were welcome. She said, however, that she had to talk at length with her Chinese counterpart about the definition of peace.
“A just peace presupposes that whoever violated the territorial integrity, i.e. Russia, withdraws its troops from the occupied country.
— Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, was skeptical about the Chinese intentions. We have seen that China and Russia have signed an unlimited partnership, and I think we need more evidence and more action to see that China is not supporting Russia, she said. said, in an interview with CNN. So far we are seeing the opposite.
With information from BBC, CNN and The Guardian
