Top White House official Jake Sullivan has warned China that giving weapons to Russia would be a “real mistake” as the consequences would be dire. Beijing has long been a close ally of Moscow and has refused to condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But the PRC is now facing the risk of facing international retribution after intelligence emerged suggesting the regime is considering arming its allies.
Sullivan said evidence is not suggesting China has moved closer to shipping weapons but reiterated Beijing would spark an immediate reaction from both the US and its European allies if that were to happen.
He said: “We are watching closely. We know they haven’t taken it off the table.
“And we are sending a clear message, as are our European allies, that this would be a real mistake because those weapons would be used to bombard cities and kill civilians, and China should want no part of that.”
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China has maintained it wants to remain neutral in the conflict and last week it sent its top diplomat, Wang Yi, to Moscow to unveil the PRC’s proposed steps for peace.
But Blinken’s warning about Beijing becoming involved in the conflict through the weapons supply chain rang alarm bells across the world.
Asked whether warnings from the US and its allies about the consequences of sending weapons to Russia had pushed Beijing to take a step back, Sullivan said they could not be sure.
He told ABC’s This Week: “It’s hard for me to say backing on, backing off. What I can say is so far, we have not seen them do it.”
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Top diplomat Wang Yi last week unveiled China’s proposal calling for a cease-fire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautiously welcomed the PRC’s involvement but said actions rather than words would determine the next phase of the conflict.
The proposal reiterated long-held positions, and analysts said Beijing would be an unlikely broker given its close ties to Russia and unwavering stance over the conflict.
Ukraine and its allies however have been warned they need to tread carefully, saying that rejection of what China sees as its peace overture could move Beijing closer toward providing arms to Russia instead.
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