The United States has confronted China with evidence suggesting that some Chinese state-owned companies may be assisting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on January 24, 2023, citing people familiar with the matter.
Non-lethal aid
The Biden administration told Beijing it had evidence of the companies’ activities and was trying to determine whether the Chinese government was aware of them, according to the report, republished by Stars and Stripes. The aid was described as “non-lethal military and economic assistance” that stopped short of wholesale sanctions evasion.
US officials raised the issue with Chinese counterparts and warned of the implications, but details of those contacts were not disclosed. The evidence was described as not clear-cut and still under review.
Not neutral
US officials believed China had initially intended to sell lethal weapons to Russia but later scaled back those plans, according to the report. The administration sees Beijing as wanting to help Moscow rather than being neutral, as China claims.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment, while the National Security Council and the CIA declined to comment. China has said it rejects sanctions not approved by the UN Security Council.
Sources
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