NYT WORLD: China Says U.S. Is ‘Not Qualified’ to Issue Orders on Arms
By Chris Buckley
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: February 20, 2023 at 02:00AM
Bristling against U.S. claims that Beijing may be poised to send “lethal support” to help Russia’s war in Ukraine, China accused the Biden administration on Monday of spreading lies and defended its close partnership with Russia. Later the same day, China’s most senior foreign policy official arrived in Moscow for talks, according to Russian state media.
By Chris Buckley
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: February 20, 2023 at 02:00AM
Beijing is trying to preserve ties with Moscow while asserting it is a neutral observer trying only to coax Russia and Ukraine into peace talks.
U.S. warns China not to give weapons to Russia
The remarks, by a spokesman from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were part of a series of moves by China as the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, tries to keep Russia close — but also repair ties with Western powers. He has sought to preserve relations with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia while casting Beijing as a blameless onlooker in his invasion of Ukraine, trying only to coax Moscow and Kyiv into peace talks.
President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in 2019. The U.S. has accused China of edging closer to providing Russia with weapons for its war against Ukraine.Credit...Pool photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko
Over the weekend, the U.S. secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, indicated that he had evidence that, behind the scenes, Beijing was tilting toward stronger support for Mr. Putin and “considering providing lethal support to Russia in its aggression against Ukraine.”
Such a step would be a major shift for China, which has defended its broader economic, energy and political ties with Moscow but not supplied it with weapons, ammunition or other battlefield equipment for the invasion. Mr. Blinken said he had warned his Chinese counterpart that there would be serious consequences were that to occur.
Asked about the accusations from Mr. Blinken and other U.S. officials, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, suggested that, on the contrary, it was the United States that was implicated in bloodshed in Ukraine.
Such a step would be a major shift for China, which has defended its broader economic, energy and political ties with Moscow but not supplied it with weapons, ammunition or other battlefield equipment for the invasion. Mr. Blinken said he had warned his Chinese counterpart that there would be serious consequences were that to occur.
Asked about the accusations from Mr. Blinken and other U.S. officials, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, suggested that, on the contrary, it was the United States that was implicated in bloodshed in Ukraine.
Read More at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/world/asia/china-russia-us-arms.html
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