The United States is beginning to see “disturbing” trends in China’s support for Russia’s military, US officials familiar with the matter told CNN. In fact, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke openly about it on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, saying that China’s support for Russia in its war in Ukraine would be a reward for aggression.

US officials who spoke to CNN said there are indications Beijing wants to “sneak” into providing lethal military aid to Russia in order to avoid being caught. The officials did not want to detail what information the U.S. had to suggest China’s recent shift in position, but they were concerned enough to share the information in recent days with allies and partners at the Munich Security Conference, CNN reported.

The same sources said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken would raise the issue if he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Saturday on the sidelines of the conference, which he did.

KAMALA HARRIS: WE’VE BEEN “CLICKED”

Vice President Kamala Harris hinted at China’s support for Russia during a speech in Munich. “We are also concerned by the fact that Beijing has deepened its relationship with Moscow since the beginning of the war,” Harris said. “In the long run, any steps taken by China to provide lethal support to Russia will only reward aggression, continue killing, and further undermine the rules-based order,” Kamala Harris said. The vice president’s comments also included condemnations of Iran and North Korea. Korea for helping Russia in military operations.

CNN’s sources said the US sees China trying to publicly portray itself as a peacemaker and wanting to maintain relations with Europe, but at the same time quietly aiding Russia’s military effort and considering lethal aid.

Speaking at the Munich conference on Saturday, Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, said Beijing was ready to present a peace proposal to Ukraine. However, many European Union leaders present in Munich share US reticence about Beijing’s intentions, CNN reports.

Last month, the Biden administration raised concerns with China about evidence that Chinese firms were selling non-lethal equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine, two US officials said. That equipment included items such as bulletproof vests and protective helmets, multiple U.S. and European intelligence sources told CNN.

CHINA’S BALANCE SHEET

However, China has been reluctant to provide more powerful military assistance, including lethal weapons systems for use on the battlefield in Ukraine. Russia has requested such help, but China does not want to be seen as an outcast on the world stage, officials said. But now there are signs that Beijing may consider it, officials say. And the Biden administration has warned publicly and privately that the US is closely monitoring any violation of Western sanctions that prohibit military support for Russia.

Although China has avoided crossing these “red lines,” it has maintained diplomatic ties and bought energy from Russia, defying U.S. efforts to isolate Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

China and Russia have publicly said they have a “boundless” partnership even before Russia invaded Ukraine last year, and Wang Yi is due to visit Russia in the coming days.

A DROPPED AIR BALLOON MAKES CHINA FRIENDLY

On the other hand, relations between the US and China have deteriorated due to the shooting down of a Chinese hot air balloon suspected of espionage. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi used the same Munich conference on Saturday to criticize Washington for its response to the hot-air balloon incident and suggested European countries “calmly think” about how to end the war in Ukraine. There are “some forces that obviously do not want the negotiations to succeed or the war to end quickly,” the Chinese diplomat hinted.

“There are so many balloons in the world and different countries have them, what does the United States do, they shoot them all down?” Vahn asked sarcastically.

A Chinese hot air balloon was shot down on the order of President Joe Biden off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. “We ask the United States to show sincerity and correct its mistakes, recognize and resolve this incident, which has affected China-US relations,” said a top Chinese diplomat.

In response, Harris said that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could reinforce the efforts of other “authoritarian” countries, a description often used by the Biden administration to describe China’s political system. “If Putin were to succeed in his assault on these fundamental principles, other countries might feel emboldened to follow his violent example,” she said. “Other authoritarian states may seek to bend the world to their will through coercion, disinformation and even brute force,” Kamala Harris said, apparently alluding to China’s ambitions to reintegrate Taiwan.

After last-minute uncertainty and lingering uncertainty about a one-on-one meeting in Munich between Anthony Blinken and Wang Yi, the meeting finally took place, and Washington appears to have sent a message to Beijing about Russia: “We have warned China about providing material support to Russia.” , – US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken wrote on Twitter. On the other hand, the US is extending an olive branch to China: “I also emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication,” the US Secretary of State added.

(source: news.ro)