U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping had a two-hour teleconference on Friday morning to discuss Ukraine and other areas of common interest and conflict.
But recent developments have led the Biden administration to believe that China is preparing to support Russia’s war in Ukraine with weapons and financial backing. This would turn Beijing from a somewhat passive supporter of Putin’s war into an ally with a big stake in a Russian victory.
Unless Biden can get Xi to alter his plans, it’s likely that Russia will, in the short term, be able to survive most NATO sanctions.
Associated Press:
Earlier this week, the U.S. informed Asian and European allies that American intelligence had determined that China had signaled to Russia that it would be willing to provide both military support for the campaign in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday reiterated that the Biden administration remains concerned that China is considering providing military equipment to Russia. He said Biden would make clear to Xi “that China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia’s aggression, and we will not hesitate to impose costs.”
The White House says China has been sending mixed messages about its support for Russia. There were initial signs that Chinese state owned banks were pulling back from financing Russian activities, according to a senior Biden administration official who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal analyses. But there have also been public comments by Chinese officials who expressed support for Russia being a strategic partner.
The stakes for Biden couldn’t be higher. Should he sanction China if they attempt to assist Russia in evading sanctions?
Xi’s big problem is that assisting Putin in his war of aggression would give the lie to the way China has been conducting its foreign policy. Xi and the Chinese Communist propaganda machine have been trying to portray China as a benevolent great power that eschews war and conflict. Indeed, the Chinese readout of the phone call with Biden still takes that line.
Reuters:
Chinese President Xi Jinping told his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Friday that conflicts and confrontations such as the events unfolding in Ukraine are in the interests of no-one, according to Chinese state media.
State-to-state relations cannot advance to the stage of confrontation, and conflicts and confrontations are not in the interests of anyone, Xi told Biden on a video call.
“The Ukraine crisis is something that we don’t want to see,” said Xi.
And yet, Xi’s offer to help Putin break sanctions while giving Russia material support for Putin’s war would demand a response from the United States that would include harsh sanctions on Beijing.
Xi is doing nothing to help resolve the crisis, end the war, or punish Russia. This is a clear case of “If you’re not for me, you’re against me.” If China doesn’t want to be an enemy of the United States, they better start being a whole lot friendlier than they are now.
Source: PJ Media
