According to Hong Kong’s “Sing Tao Daily” report, US Secretary of State Blinken said that the Chinese government “almost certainly” (Almost Certainly) approved domestic companies to provide non-lethal dual-use assistance to Russia in the war in Ukraine. But he did not specify what China offered Russia.
Blinken said at a dialogue event held by the “Atlantic” magazine on February 23 local time: “The non-lethal, dual-use support provided by Chinese companies is almost certainly approved by the state, because they are actually the same, but Not backed by lethal armament, however, we have also had messages over the past few months that China is now strongly considering doing so.”
According to a Bloomberg report, Blinken’s remarks that the Chinese government tacitly allows companies to help the Russian army through military and civilian dual-use supplies will aggravate the tension in the situation. Since the Biden administration identified and shot down a Chinese reconnaissance balloon flying over the continental United States, relations between the two countries have plummeted to a freezing point.
Blinken said he hoped China would receive the message that providing military support for Russian aggression would dent China’s international reputation as Beijing moves away from years of a zero-coronavirus policy and becomes more involved in global diplomacy.
“I hope, but in a very clear way, that China can get this message because it’s not just from us but from many other countries, and we don’t want to see China help and Instigating Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, so while China is trying to launch a charm offensive and resume engagement with other countries as it emerges from COVID-19, I don’t think it wants to further alienate others by giving Russia a lethal weapon.”