BEIJING (AP) — Nearly a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, new questions are surfacing about China’s potential willingness to offer military assistance to Moscow in the protracted conflict.
In an interview aired on Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said US intelligence is suggesting that China consider supplying Russia with arms and ammunition, an involvement in the Kremlin’s war effort that it says is a “serious problem.” ” may be.
China has refused to criticize Russia for its actions or even call it an invasion out of deference to Moscow. At the same time, it insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations must be preserved. The question now is whether China is prepared to turn this rhetorical support into material support.
Here’s a look at where China stands in relation to the conflict.
___
DOES CHINA SUPPORT RUSSIA IN ITS WAR AGAINST UKRAINE?
China has attempted to walk a narrow — and often contradictory — line in the Russian invasion.
China says Russia was provoked into action by NATO’s western expansion. Just weeks before the February 24, 2022 invasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping received Russian President Vladimir Putin at the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics. At the time, the sides issued a joint statement pledged to a “boundless” friendship. Since then, China has ignored Western criticism and reiterated that promise.
But China has yet to confirm the visit that Putin expects from Xi this spring.
China is “trying it both ways,” Blinken said on NBC on Sunday. “Publicly they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine, but privately, as I said, already in the past few months we have seen the deployment of non-lethal aid that is used directly to support and support Russia’s war effort. “
___
DID CHINA SUPPORT RUSSIA MATERIAL?
So far, China’s support for Russia has been rhetorical and political, with Beijing helping to thwart efforts to condemn Moscow at the United Nations.
Blinken, speaking at a security conference in Munich, Germany, said the United States has long been concerned that China would supply arms to Russia and that “we have information that worries us that they are considering providing lethal support to Russia in the war against Ukraine.” It comes a day after Blinken held talks with Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s top foreign policy official, at a meeting that showed little sign of easing tensions or progress on the Ukraine issue.
“It was important for me to make it very clear to Wang Yi that this would be a serious problem,” Blinken said, referring to possible military support for Russia.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield also expressed concern about any Chinese effort to arm Russia, saying “that would be a red line.”
Russian and Chinese forces have held joint military exercises since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, and most recently sent ships on exercises with the South African Navy on a key shipping route off the South African coast.
___
WHAT DID CHINA SAY ABOUT THIS?
After Wang and Blinken’s meeting, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it has always played a constructive role in the Ukraine conflict by adhering to principles, encouraging peace and promoting talks.
The ministry said the Sino-Russian partnership was “built on the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting to third parties” and that the US would “add fuel to the fire to seize the opportunity.” make profits.”
Beijing says it has continued normal trade relations with Russia, including buying oil and gas, as have other countries like India. However, this trade is seen as an economic lifeline for Moscow, but there are no documented instances of China providing direct aid to the Russian military along the lines of the cheap military drones that Iran sells to Moscow.
___
WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF CHINA HELPS RUSSIA?
“To the best of our knowledge, they haven’t crossed that line yet,” Blinken told NBC on Sunday.
Blinken did not specify what actions the US might take in response to Chinese military support for Russia, but efforts to set a floor for the relationship, which have deteriorated to their lowest levels in decades, have so far been unsuccessful. The US has sought to restrict China’s access to the latest microprocessors and manufacturing facilities, and has continued to challenge Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea.
For China, the most thorny issue is US support for Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy that Beijing regards as its own territory, to be conquered by military force if necessary. Taiwan is a major buyer of US defense weapons and has hosted a growing number of prominent American elected officials, infuriating Beijing.
Meanwhile, members of the US Congress have called for the ban on TikTok and other Chinese-owned social media platforms, as well as increased sanctions against Chinese firms backed by the Communist Party, which exercises ultimate control over the Chinese economy and independent media and political opposition suppresses voices.
The Associated Press
Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio
