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US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has warned that his country will not allow China to throw a “lifeline” at Russia.
The US government has warned China that no country will be able to get away with trying to rescue Russia from sanctions imposed by foreign nations following the invasion of Ukraine.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan “raised his concerns directly and very clearly” with Beijing during talks with a top Chinese diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Rome, Italy, on Monday.
Sullivan said Washington is closely watching the extent to which China will support President Vladimir Putin during his invasion of Ukraine.
Hours before the meeting between the representatives of the two nations, US officials assured through various media outlets that China had expressed its willingness to provide military and economic assistance to Russia.
The reports, which were offered anonymously, indicate that Russia had specifically asked China for military equipment, including drones.
In an interview on CNN television, Sullivan said the US was “communicating directly and privately to Beijing that there will be absolute consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support for Russia to make them forehead”.
“We will not allow that to go ahead and that there is a lifeline for Russia from these economic sanctions on any country, anywhere in the world,” the security adviser said.
He added that while the US believes China knew the Russian leader was “planning something” before the invasion happened, Beijing “might not have understood its full scope.”
“Because it is quite possible that Putin lied to them in the same way that he lied to the Europeans and to others.”
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The Chinese diplomatic delegation was led by high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official Yang Jiechi.
China accuses the US of disinformation
In response, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, Zhao Lijian, said the United States had “spread disinformation directed at China on the Ukraine issue, with malicious intent.”
Asked if he might clarify whether China had received a request for military aid from Russia, Zhao said it was “fake news” but did not directly deny it. He added that China’s stance has always been consistent and that China is playing a constructive role in promoting the talks.
For his part, President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports that Russia asked China for military assistance are not true.
“Russia has its own independent potential to continue the operation. As we said, it is going according to plan and will be completed on time and in full,” he said.
China has so far refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion, saying Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns” should be taken seriously.
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Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has devastated several cities and caused a mass exodus.
When the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russia’s invasion earlier this month, China was one of 35 countries that abstained.
But Beijing at the same time has expressed “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty. He has also called for peace and said he is ready to help end the war through diplomacy. Several countries have urged China to do more to stop Russia’s invasion.
The meeting in Rome
The White House issued a brief statement to reporters following the talks in Rome saying Sullivan raised a “range of issues regarding the US-China relationship, with substantial discussion of Russia’s war once morest Ukraine,” the agency reported. of Archyde.com news.
“We have deep concerns regarding China’s alignment with Russia at the time. The national security adviser went straight to those concerns and the possible implications and consequences of certain actions,” a senior US official said.
The official Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted Yang as saying that in Monday’s talk Beijing pledged to promote negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Archyde.com reported.
“China firmly opposes any words and actions that spread false information and distort and smear China’s position,” Yang said.
He added that China and the US should strengthen dialogue, properly manage differences and avoid conflict and confrontation.
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