NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that there should be consequences for China for supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine. He said this during a speech at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, BBC reported.
Jens Stoltenberg said China was “sharing a lot of technologies, micro-electronics, which are key for Russia to build missiles, weapons they use against Ukraine”.
The NATO Secretary General accused China of fueling Russia’s war against Ukraine, pointing out that last year Russia imported 90 percent of its microelectronics from China, which are used to produce missiles, tanks, and aircraft.
According to Stoltenberg, Beijing is also working to provide Moscow with improved satellite capabilities.
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping has tried to give the impression that he is taking a back seat in this conflict to avoid sanctions and keep trade going,” Stoltenberg said.
However, he noted, the reality is that China is fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II and, at the same time, wants to maintain good relations with the West.
“Beijing cannot have it both ways. At some stage, we should consider some kind of economic cost if China doesn’t change their behaviour,” the NATO Secretary General said.
Stoltenberg added that with more reliable long-term support for Ukraine, Moscow will realize it cannot ignore the West.
“It may seem like a paradox, but the path to peace is more weapons for Ukraine,” NATO Secretary General summarized.
China has defended its economic ties with Moscow, claiming it is not selling lethal arms and “prudently handles the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations”.
Last week, the Group of Seven countries said they would continue to take action against entities in China and third countries that materially support the Russian military machine in its war of aggression against Ukraine.
Earlier, the U.S. Treasury Department identified more than a dozen schemes to evade sanctions against Russia’s military-industrial base and imposed restrictions on more than 90 foreign individuals and companies, primarily from China and Turkey.
“Russia’s war economy is deeply isolated from the international financial system, leaving the Kremlin’s military desperate for access to the outside world,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.
The US Treasury also announced the expansion of the secondary sanctions mechanism against Russia. “Treasury is targeting the architecture of Russia’s financial system, which has been reoriented to facilitate investment into its defense industry and acquisition of goods needed to further its aggression against Ukraine. Treasury is also targeting more than a dozen transnational networks laundering gold for a designated Russian gold producer, supporting Russia’s production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and procuring sensitive and critical items such as materials for Russia’s chemical and biological weapons program, anti-UAV equipment, machine tools, industrial machinery, and microelectronics,” the statement said
According to a Bloomberg report, the US will increase sanctions to limit the sale of semiconductor chips and other goods to Russia, targeting networks and organizations in China and other nations.
According to a recent analysis by chip specialist Chris Miller, 88% of the chips Russia purchased in the first half of 2023—measured in dollars—came from Chinese deliveries. It stated that “in the first half of 2023, shipments from China accounted for 88% of the chips Russia acquired, measured by dollar value,” indicating that “China is by far the most significant supplier of chips for Russia.”
In April, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken 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. 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.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also said the Chinese cannot “have it both ways” by seeking better relations with Europe while supplying goods that pose what he called “the greatest challenge to European security since the end of the Cold War.”
US 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.
In April, the US Department of Commerce has imposed export restrictions on three companies from Russia, six from China, and two from the United Arab Emirates. The Department’s website published the list of the newly sanctioned companies.
Also, in April, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, stated that the EU is concerned that China may become increasingly confident in its ability to supply Russia with parts needed to manufacture weapons if the West’s determination to resist Russia’s war in Ukraine wanes.
According to Dombrovskis, the European Union was worried about China’s conduct in relation to Ukraine, especially in light of recent reports that it was sending parts to Russia, Euractiv reported.
