WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence suggests China is contemplating offering arms and ammunition to Russia, an involvement within the Kremlin’s war effort that may be a “major problem,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned.
Blinken mentioned america lengthy has been involved that China would offer weapons to Russia. He pointed to Chinese language chief Xi Jinping’s promise to Russian President Vladimir Putin of a partnership with “no limits” after they met simply weeks earlier than Putin despatched his troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Since then, ties between the two countries have solely grown stronger.
“We’ve been watching this very, very carefully. And, for essentially the most half, China has been engaged in offering rhetorical, political, diplomatic assist to Russia, however we’ve got data that offers us concern that they’re contemplating offering deadly assist to Russia within the struggle towards Ukraine,” Blinken mentioned in an interview that aired Sunday, a day after his meeting at a security conference in Munich with Wang Yithe Chinese language Communist Occasion’s most senior overseas coverage official.
“It was essential for me to share very clearly with Wang Yi that this is able to be a major problem,” Blinken mentioned.
With Putin decided to indicate some progress on the battlefield because the struggle nears the one-year mark, Russian forces have been on the offensive in japanese Ukraine.
“The Ukrainians are holding very robust, the Russians are struggling horrific losses on this effort,” Blinken mentioned. He estimated that Russia has 97% of its floor troops in Ukraine.
The Russians are also desperate to seize extra territory earlier than Ukraine receives the extra superior weapons just lately pledged by the U.S. and its European allies.
“However what Secretary Blinken mentioned is massive information to me,” mentioned Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Graham mentioned the world ought to “come down arduous on China” if it supplies deadly weapons to Russia and he suggested Chinese language leaders to not do something rash.
“To the Chinese language, in the event you soar on the Putin practice now, you’re dumber than grime,” he mentioned. “It could be like shopping for a ticket on the Titanic after you noticed the film. Don’t do that.”
Graham mentioned it might be the “most catastrophic factor that might occur to the U.S.-China relationship. … That might change every part ceaselessly.”
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have been heightened in latest weeks after the U.S. shot down what it says was a Chinese language spy balloon. China insists it was used primarily for meteorological analysis and was blown off track.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, additionally expressed her concern about any effort by the Chinese language to arm Russia, saying “that may be a pink line.”
Retired Gen. Jack Keane, a former Military vice chief of workers, mentioned he agreed with the Biden administration’s choice to reveal China’s doable readiness to offer some deadly weapons to Russia. He mentioned it might persuade China to carry off.
“And I believe popping out and exposing and I might go additional and inform them what we expect they’re trying to offer, China will pull again doubtless after that public publicity,” Keane mentioned.
Blinken and Graham have been on ABC’s “This Week,” Thomas-Greenfield appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and Keane spoke on “Fox Information Sunday.”
