The US government has again warned China not to provide military equipment to Russia in the war against Ukraine. In such a case, the US would not hesitate to impose “costs” on China, Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken said, alluding to possible sanctions. China has a responsibility to use its influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin to promote an end to the war and compliance with international norms.
However, the government in Beijing does not want to condemn the Russian war of aggression and is taking a neutral stance, said Blinken. “We are concerned that she is considering directly supporting Russia with military equipment for use in Ukraine,” he said. President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this Friday and make it clear that China will be responsible for any support given to Russia, Blinken said.
Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and China’s top foreign policy chief, Yang Jiechi, had previously met in Rome on Monday for talks.
The US government has repeatedly warned China and companies in the People’s Republic not to support Russia in circumventing Western sanctions. In such a case, the punitive measures could also be extended to Chinese companies, it said. The EU and the USA are significantly more important trading partners for China than Russia.