China’s support for Russia’s war machine ‘must stop,’ says Blinken

Russia’s “war machine” is enabled by Chinese support, and this “must stop,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on June 18.

At a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, both politicians criticized Beijing and its relationship with the Kremlin.

Although China officially maintains a neutral stance toward Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine and denies providing lethal aid, Beijing and Moscow continue to build relations, as evidenced by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping in May.

Blinken said China is providing support that “enables Russia to maintain its defense industrial base, to keep the war machine running, to keep the war going.”

“So this has to stop,” he added in a comment published by AFP.

In similar remarks to those made on June 17, Stoltenberg said China would face “consequences” if it continued to support Russia.

“China cannot have it both ways. It cannot continue to have normal trade relations with countries in Europe while fomenting the biggest war we have seen in Europe since World War II,” he said.

On June 17, Stoltenberg said that 90 percent of Russian microelectronics came from China.

Beijing is also reportedly working to improve the capabilities of Russian satellites.

China has denied providing military support to Russia in its all-out war against Ukraine. At the same time, the US has previously accused China of providing Russia with “every possible support behind the scenes” for its war in Ukraine and described its actions as “destabilizing in the heart of Europe.”

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