Beijing denies it is sending arms to Russia, warns: ‘US cannot give orders to China’

In a scathing response to Washington, China has branded as “false” US chief diplomat Antony Blinken’s claims that Beijing is considering sending arms to Russia to aid in its war against Ukraine. And he raised the tone against the White House, in the midst of a atmosphere of growing tension.

“It is the United States, not China, that does not stop supplying weapons to the battlefield. The United States is not qualified to give orders to China, and we will never accept the United States dictating or dictating what Sino-China relations should be like. russian,” he said. Foreign affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin at a press conference on Monday.

The spokesman remarked that his country will not accept that “the United States exerts coercion and pressure”.

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine nearly a year ago, China has maintained a ambiguous position in which he called for respect for “the territorial integrity of all countries”, including Ukraine, and attention to the “legitimate concerns of all countries”, with reference to Russia.

“China’s position on the crisis in Ukraine can be summed up in one sentence, namely promoting peace and dialogue. This is what the international community is asking for,” Wang added.

The spokesman also urged the United States to “reflect on what it has done” and “take concrete steps to cool the situation and promote peace”.

“They should stop blaming others and spreading false information. China will remain on the side of dialogue and peace and play a constructive role in cooling down the crisis,” he said.

Blinken said on Sunday that he has evidence that China is considering sending weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine and warned of the consequences that could have for bilateral relations.

“In China there is really no distinction between private companies and the state. So far we have seen them provide non-lethal support to Russia for use in Ukraine. Our concern now is that they are considering providing lethal support, on the basis of information we have.” she said.

By lethal support, he specified, he was referring to weapons and also ammunition.

In a meeting Blinken held Saturday with the director of the Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the Munich conference in Germany, the US representative warned his interlocutor precisely against the supply of material aid to Russia.

During his stay in Munich, Wang Yi reiterated that China will continue to make “efforts” to achieve peace in Ukraine and that his country has suggested that both countries “sit together at a table” to reach “a political solution ” to the conflict.

The cross-warnings between Washington and Beijing are reinforcing the tension, following the incident with the Chinese balloon shot down on February 4 by the United States while it was flying over its airspace.

The United States suspects that it would be an espionage device, even if the Asian country assures that it was a meteorological monitoring balloon that went off its trajectory “by mistake”.

Europe notice

Meanwhile, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, warned on Monday that if China supplies Russia with arms as part of its invasion of Ukraine, it will cross a “red line” in relations with the EU.

“I expressed our strong concern about China supplying Russia with arms and asked that it not do so, I said it not only worries us but that it would be a red line in our relationship,” Borrell told the press upon arrival. to a council of foreign ministers of the bloc.

The head of EU diplomacy assured that he expressed it in a meeting with the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, Wang Yi, with whom he had a “long conversation” as part of the Munich Security Conference held this weekend in that German city.

“He told me they won’t, that they’re not going to. But we will remain vigilantBorell added.

The official also referred to Estonia’s proposal to jointly purchase 155-caliber ammunition that Ukraine needs in the EU, in an effort that could reach 4 billion euros.

“Russian artillery fires about 50,000 rounds a day, the Ukrainians must be at the same level of capability,” he said.

The High Representative confirmed that she will make proposals to member states on how to make these joint purchases of ammunition to be donated to Kyiv.

Source: EFE and AFP