Russia would have difficulty sustaining its invasion of Ukraine without China’s help, the US Secretary of State said, Sky News reports.
Antony Blinken – speaking in Beijing following talks with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi – said he had “reiterated” serious concerns about China supplying components that “fuel Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine”.
He added: “China is the main supplier of machine tools, microelectronics and nitrocellulose, which is essential for the manufacture of munitions and rocket fuels and other dual-use items that Moscow uses to boost its defense industrial base “, he said during a press conference.
This industrial base “produces missiles, drones, tanks and other weapons that President Putin uses to invade a sovereign country,” he added.
These weapons are used to “demolish a power grid and other civilian infrastructure and kill innocent children, women and men,” Mr. Blinken said.
He continued: “Russia would have difficulty sustaining its assault on Ukraine without China’s support.”
“In my meetings with NATO allies earlier this month and with our G7 partners just last week, we heard the same message: fueling Russia’s defense industrial base not only threatens Ukraine’s security, but also threatens European security.
Beijing cannot achieve better relations with Europe while supporting the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.
As we have told China for some time, ensuring transatlantic security is a core US interest. In our discussions today, we made it clear that if China does not address this issue, we will,” Blinken explained.
