China denied the U.S. accusation that it had considered arming Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, calling it “nonsense.” The accusations were made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a time when relations between the US and China were already strained due to Washington shooting down what it claimed to be a sizable Chinese spy balloon earlier this month.
According to Blinken, China is now “considering sending lethal support” to Moscow, including “ammunition and the weapons themselves,” according to CBS on Sunday.
He continued, “We’ve made it very obvious to them that would result in a severe issue for us and in our relationship.
Wang Wenbin, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, charged Washington on Monday with “disseminating misleading information.” Wang stated at a routine briefing that “It is the United States and not China that is continually transporting weapons to the battlefield.”
We implore the United States to sincerely examine its own conduct, take additional steps to improve the situation, advance peace and dialogue, and cease assigning blame and disseminating incorrect information.
Similar remarks were made by Blinken in several interviews conducted from Germany, where he spent Saturday attending the Munich Security Conference and meeting with Wang Yi, the top Chinese diplomat.
Notwithstanding the war, there have been concerns that China is strengthening its connections with Russia. Wang stressed that Beijing was acting constructively and would encourage dialogue and potential peace talks.
In an appearance on ABC on Sunday, Blinken emphasized that US President Joe Biden had cautioned China’s President Xi Jinping against shipping weapons to Russia as early as last March.
Since then, a source familiar with the administration’s thinking says, “China has been careful not to cross that line, notably by delaying the sale of lethal weaponry for use in battle.”
It would be a grave error for China to give Russia weapons, according to Lindsey Graham, a prominent US Republican senator who was present at the Munich summit. He remarked that doing it now would be “dumber than dirt.” It would be like to purchasing a Titanic ticket after watching the movie.
Graham, a well-known foreign policy hawk, also claimed to have solid evidence that the US will soon reveal plans to train Ukrainian fighter pilots. If true, this would be another step in the West’s constantly expanding efforts to arm Ukraine.
As a result of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Graham said he thought the United States should designate Moscow as a state sponsor of terrorism. If this happened, China or any other country that provided Russia with armaments would be subject to sanctions.
Josep Borrell, the head of foreign strategy for the EU, claimed that he informed Wang that providing armaments to Russia “would be a red line in our relationship. He informed me that they have no intention of carrying out their stated plan. But we’ll continue to be watchful.
The highest-level meeting between the nations since American jets shot down the Chinese balloon on February 4 did not appear to ease recent tension during Blinken’s meeting with Wang.
Blinken told CBS about the balloon incident: “I told him pretty plainly that that was unacceptable and can never happen again.”
Wang called the US claims of high-altitude espionage “hysterical and ludicrous” on Saturday, using unusually strong words.
Blinken claimed that his opponent had made “no apologies” to him.
The confrontational comments came a day after US Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that Russia had attacked Ukraine’s civilian population “widespread and systemically” in order to commit “crimes against humanity.” When he commemorates the first year of the war, Biden will give a speech in Warsaw on Tuesday to praise Nato’s exceptional commitment to assist Ukrainians in saving their nation.
Three days before the anniversary of Russian tanks entering Ukraine on February 24, President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to deliver a speech of his own in Moscow on the same day.
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