During his upcoming visit to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to raise US concerns about Beijing helping Russia build a defense industrial base to continue its military campaign in Ukraine, Ministry Spokesperson. Diplomat Matthew Miller said.
The US had previously warned China not to support Moscow since the start of the military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022.
Mr. Miller said at a press conference on April 16: “We have seen in recent months that there have been materials transferred from China to Russia that Russia used to rebuild its industrial base and produce weapons for its own use. on the battlefield in Ukraine. We are extremely concerned about that.”
Last week, US officials told the press about the materials China is providing to Russia, including drone and missile technology, satellite imagery and machine tools. The US believes that these items do not have lethal capabilities but help Russia build its army to maintain the conflict that has lasted more than 2 years in Ukraine.
Last week, a Chinese Embassy spokesman told Reuters that China is not a party to the Ukraine crisis and that normal trade between China and Russia should not be interfered with or restricted.
President Joe Biden raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone call earlier this month, after which US officials said Secretary of State Blinken would travel to China in the coming weeks. Details of Mr. Blinken’s visit have not been announced.
“Without getting too far ahead of those meetings, you can certainly expect that will be an issue he raises,” Mr. Miller said.
The US State Department spokesperson added that Secretary of State Blinken raised the issue with his counterparts in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during a meeting in Brussels earlier this month, and will also discuss it with foreign countries. Heads of other G7 countries at a meeting in Italy this week.
