US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has criticized China for supporting Russia’s defense industry, saying that Beijing is now the main supplier of critical components for the war of aggression that Russia is waging against Ukraine.
Blinken stated this at a press conference after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, Reuters reports. These efforts by China are fueling the greatest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War, Blinken said, as reported by Reuters.
“When it comes to Russia’s defense industrial base, the primary contributor at this moment to that is China. We see China sharing machine tools, semiconductors, and other dual-use items that have helped Russia rebuild the defense industrial base.”
Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State
He noted that Washington has made it very clear to Beijing and others that they should not help Russia in its military operations in Ukraine.
“China can’t have it both ways. It can’t afford that. You want to have positive, friendly relations with countries in Europe, and at the same time, you are fueling the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.”
Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State
In a communiqué, the Group of Seven foreign ministers and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said they intend to continue to impose sanctions against Russia and individuals and companies from third countries that assist it.
Earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the U.S. had warned China of the consequences of its banks and companies helping Russia in the war against Ukraine and was ready to respond to the sharp rise in cheap exports from China.
The media reported that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, speaking to his EU and NATO counterparts, said that China was helping Russia “on a worrying scale” by providing tools and technology.
At the same time, the United States sees no evidence that China is providing Russia with direct military support.
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