Status: 02/20/2023 3:36 p.m
US Secretary of State Blinken has accused China of planning arms deliveries to Russia. Beijing reacts with sharp criticism – and accuses the United States of misinformation.
The accusation from the US weighs heavily: China is planning to supply arms and ammunition to Russia, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. So far he has not given any details. Beijing is now reacting: Washington should stop spreading “false information,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin in Beijing.
It is the US that is supplying weapons to the battlefield, not China, Wang said. The US also has no right to make demands on China. China accepts “neither pressure nor coercion” in its relations with Russia.
Dual use civilian goods
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously warned China against selling arms to Russia. The US government has information that China is considering supporting Russia with arms and ammunition.
So far, China has openly not delivered any armaments for the Ukraine war to Russia. According to media reports, however, Chinese companies are said to have sold so-called dual-use goods, i.e. technologies that can be used in both the civil and military sectors. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, a Chinese company is said to have delivered commercial drones to Russia.
Announced peace plan
The foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing did not respond to these reports. He said China is committed to dialogue and peace. At the security conference in Munich, China’s top foreign policymaker, Wang Yi, announced a peace plan for Ukraine – albeit without giving details.
Observers don’t give the initiative much chance because the Chinese leadership maintains close ties with Russia. Wang Yi is expected to attend talks in Moscow today.