Bristling towards U.S. claims that Beijing could also be poised to ship “deadly assist” to assist Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, China accused the Biden administration on Monday of spreading lies and defended its shut partnership with Russia.

The remarks, by a spokesman from the Chinese language Ministry of International Affairs, had been a part of a collection of strikes by China because the nation’s chief, Xi Jinping, tries to maintain Russia shut — but in addition restore ties with Western powers. He has sought to protect relations with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia whereas casting Beijing as a innocent onlooker in his invasion of Ukraine, making an attempt solely to coax Moscow and Kyiv into peace talks.

Over the weekend, the U.S. secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, indicated that he had proof that, behind the scenes, Beijing was tilting towards stronger assist for Mr. Putin and “contemplating offering deadly assist to Russia in its aggression towards Ukraine.”

Such a step can be a serious shift for China, which has defended its broader financial, power and political ties with Moscow however not equipped it with weapons, ammunition or different battlefield tools for the invasion. Mr. Blinken mentioned he had warned his Chinese language counterpart that there can be critical penalties had been that to happen.

Requested concerning the accusations from Mr. Blinken and different U.S. officers, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the overseas ministry, recommended that, quite the opposite, it was the US that was implicated in bloodshed in Ukraine.

“It’s the U.S., and never China, that has been incessantly supplying weapons to the battlefield, and the U.S. isn’t certified to challenge any orders to China,” Mr. Wang advised a information convention in Beijing. Washington, Mr. Wang added, ought to “cease shirking duty and disseminating faux information. China will proceed firmly standing on the aspect of dialogue and the aspect of peace.”

Mr. Wang was requested about experiences that Wang Yi — China’s most senior overseas coverage official — was attributable to arrive in Moscow after assembly with Mr. Blinken on the Munich Safety Convention. Mr. Putin might meet with him in Moscow, in accordance with Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman.

U.S. officers are watching Mr. Wang’s journey intently, which comes after the Chinese language official spoke in Munich in protection of Beijing’s straddling place on Russia and the struggle in Ukraine.

“We’re deeply involved by the expanded and prolonged disaster,” Mr. Wang, the highest official, mentioned when requested concerning the struggle throughout a question-and-answer session in Munich. He additionally hinted that he thought the US had a geopolitical curiosity in perpetuating the combating in Ukraine.

“Some forces might not wish to see peace talks materialize,” Mr. Wang mentioned. “They don’t care concerning the life and loss of life of the Ukrainians, nor the hurt to Europe. They could have strategic objectives bigger than Ukraine itself.”

China and Mr. Xi have been entangled in tensions between the US and Russia since early final yr, even earlier than Russian troops poured into Ukraine.

Again then, Mr. Xi hosted Mr. Putin in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, and the 2 authoritarian leaders declared a friendship with “no limits” between their international locations. Mr. Xi additionally endorsed Mr. Putin’s grievances towards NATO, opposing its potential eastward enlargement. Lower than three weeks after that, Mr. Putin launched his sweeping assault on Ukraine.

Since then, officers in Beijing have defended their alignment with Russia, whereas insisting that they need peace in Ukraine and respect its sovereignty. Within the eyes of Chinese language leaders, their relationship with Russia is a vital counterweight towards American energy, mentioned Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer on the College of New South Wales in Australia who research Chinese language-Russian relations.

“For China, Russia is a possible ally for its confrontation with the US, and Xi Jinping will money his verify if there’s a battle between China and the U.S.,” Mr. Korolev mentioned in a phone interview. “I don’t assume Beijing is completely happy about what Russia is doing, but it surely can’t afford to lose its solely nice energy strategic associate.”

Even so, if China had been to ship weapons or every other type of “deadly assist” to Russia for the struggle, that will doubtless deeply alarm Washington in addition to European leaders, jeopardizing Mr. Xi’s efforts to rebuild his nation’s connections with the world after three years of pandemic-induced isolation. Since late final yr, he has been making an attempt to attract nearer to Germany, France and different European international locations. He tried to chill tensions with Washington, till a quarrel this month over a Chinese language surveillance balloon shot down over the US put that effort on maintain.

Though the Chinese language authorities has sought to advertise negotiations relatively than struggle in Ukraine, Beijing has not taken large diplomatic gambles to attempt to carry talks about.

Mr. Wang, the senior diplomat, mentioned Beijing would quickly challenge a place paper detailing a plan for peace. However the paper is prone to affirm Beijing’s longstanding views, relatively than provide a brand new strategy, to guage from Mr. Wang’s feedback.

“We are going to reiterate the propositions made by President Xi Jinping,” Mr. Wang advised the viewers in Munich. “We may even reiterate that nuclear wars should not be fought and won’t be gained.”

Throughout their assembly in Munich, Mr. Blinken advised Mr. Wang, the senior diplomat, about “a rising concern on our half that China is contemplating offering deadly assist to Russia in its aggression towards Ukraine,” Mr. Blinken later mentioned in an interview with ABC’s “This Week.”

Mr. Blinken mentioned, “I made clear, as President Biden has — nearly from day one with President Xi — that that will have critical penalties in our personal relationship.”

Mr. Blinken mentioned the help would include weapons and ammunition, however he didn’t provide specifics, nor did he describe the intelligence that the Biden administration presumably acquired to reach at this conclusion.

With out extra particulars to go by, it’s troublesome to guage what “deadly assist” the Biden administration believes Beijing would possibly take into account offering, a number of specialists mentioned.

One potential concern to Washington could also be Chinese language-made drones, mentioned Mr. Korolev, the knowledgeable on Russia’s relations with China. Beijing’s deepening army ties with Russia, together with common joint workouts and Chinese language copies of Russian weaponry meant Chinese language suppliers could possibly be acquainted with different army know-how.

However, Mr. Korolev mentioned, China may even see little profit from wading into the combating when neither Ukraine nor Russia seems prone to collapse, or emerge as victor, anytime quickly.

“China can maintain sitting on the fence,” he mentioned. “Even when China decides to assist Russia, all the things can be completed to cover that.”

Drew Thompson, previously answerable for relations with China beneath the U.S. Secretary of Protection, mentioned that U.S. officers might have caught wind of Chinese language army officers or arms makers discussing potential exports to Russia, and Chinese language diplomats will not be conscious of these discussions. He famous that he was not aware about U.S. authorities inner discussions.

“There doesn’t look like a functioning coverage coordination course of in China,” mentioned Mr. Thompson, now a visiting senior analysis fellow on the Lee Kuan Yew College of Public Coverage in Singapore.

Amy Chang Chien contributed reporting.