The United States has accused China of providing “all kinds of behind-the-scenes support” to Russia in the war in Ukraine and said China’s actions were “destabilizing the heart of Europe.”
On May 29, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, visiting Brussels, told reporters that NATO and European countries needed to send a “joint message of concern about China’s actions.”
“From China to Russia, what we’ve seen isn’t a one-off operation in support of Russia or an operation by a few unscrupulous companies,” Campbell said, adding, “This is an ongoing, comprehensive effort orchestrated by Chinese leaders behind the scenes to give Russia all the support they can.”
While China officially maintains a neutral stance in Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine and denies providing lethal aid, Beijing and Moscow continue to foster close ties, most recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping in early May.
On May 22, British Foreign Secretary Grant Shapps said he would declassify new information to reveal a “highly significant” development: that the UK and the US had received reports of “lethal aid currently or about to flow from China to Russia and Ukraine”.
But US national security adviser Jake Sullivan later distanced himself from Mr Shapps’ claims, saying the US had never seen or “to date” seen any such evidence.
Mr Sullivan did not accept Mr Shapps’s allegations, but said it was clear China was supplying weapons components to Russia and the US was “taking action in response”.
It is unclear whether Campbell’s recent comments are referring to the same information or something different.
U.S. officials have previously warned China against providing lethal military aid to Russia and urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to try to end the war.
On May 1, the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against approximately 300 companies and individuals in Russia and third countries, including Chinese companies, for supporting Russia’s wartime activities.
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on approximately 200 targets, and the State Department imposed sanctions on more than 80 targets.
The sanctions are aimed at combating tax evasion and support for Russia’s military-industrial base and chemical and biological weapons programs, according to a Treasury statement.
Opinion: Putin’s visit to China was a new battle in Russia’s war of economic endurance
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a clear message to the West last week: China firmly supports Russia. Putin visited Beijing on his first overseas trip since taking office and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 16. The visit came the week before Russia reshuffled its cabinet.
