By Humeyra Pamuk and Michael Martina

MUNICH (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday warned high Chinese language diplomat Wang Yi of penalties ought to China present materials assist to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying in an interview after the 2 met that Washington was involved Beijing was contemplating supplying weapons to Moscow.

The highest diplomats of the 2 superpowers met at an undisclosed location on the sidelines of a worldwide safety convention in Munich, simply hours after Wang scolded Washington as “hysterical” in a working dispute over the U.S. downing of a suspected Chinese language spy balloon.

Relations between the 2 nations have been fraught since Washington mentioned China flew a spy balloon over the continental U.S. earlier than American fighter jets shot it down on President Joe Biden’s orders. The dispute additionally got here at a time when the West is intently watching Beijing’s response to the Ukraine warfare.

In an interview to be aired on Sunday morning on NBC Information’ “Meet the Press with Chuck Todd,” Blinken mentioned the USA was very involved that China is contemplating offering deadly assist to Russia and that he made clear to Wang that “would have severe penalties in our relationship.”

“There are numerous sorts of deadly help that they’re at the least considering offering, to incorporate weapons,” Blinken mentioned, including that Washington would quickly launch extra particulars.

Chatting with reporters in a briefing name, a senior State Division official mentioned China was attempting to “have it each methods” by claiming it needs to contribute to peace and stability however on the similar time taking “regarding” steps to assist Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“(The) secretary was fairly blunt in warning in regards to the implications and penalties of China offering materials assist to Russia or helping Russia with systematic sanctions evasion,” the senior official mentioned, talking on the situation of anonymity.

Russia and China signed a “no limits” partnership final February shortly earlier than Russian forces invaded Ukraine, and their financial hyperlinks have boomed as Moscow’s connections with the West have shriveled.

The West has been cautious of China’s response to the Ukraine warfare, with some warning {that a} Russian victory would colour China’s actions towards Taiwan. China has kept away from condemning the warfare or calling it an “invasion.”

Earlier, talking at a panel on the convention, Wang reiterated a name for dialogue and steered European nations “assume calmly” about methods to finish the warfare.

He additionally mentioned there have been “some forces that seemingly don’t need negotiations to succeed, or for the warfare to finish quickly,” with out specifying to whom he was referring.

NO APOLOGY

Blinken and Wang’s assembly got here hours after the highest Chinese language diplomat took a swipe at the USA, accusing it of violating worldwide norms with “hysterical” conduct by taking pictures down the balloon.

The balloon’s flight this month over U.S. territory triggered an uproar in Washington and prompted Blinken to postpone a deliberate go to to Beijing. That Feb. 5-6 journey would have been the primary by a U.S. secretary of state to China in 5 years and was seen by either side as a possibility to stabilize more and more fraught ties.

“To have dispatched a complicated fighter jet to shoot down a balloon with a missile, such conduct is unbelievable, virtually hysterical,” Wang mentioned.

“There are such a lot of balloons all around the world, and numerous nations have them. So, is the USA going to shoot all of them down?” he mentioned.

China reacted angrily when the U.S. army downed the 200-foot (60-meter) balloon on Feb. 4, saying it was for monitoring climate circumstances and had blown off beam. Washington mentioned it was clearly a surveillance balloon with an enormous undercarriage holding electronics.

Questions had swirled as as to if Blinken and Wang would use the convention in Munich as an opportunity to reengage in-person, and the State Division solely confirmed the hour-long assembly after it had ended.

Within the interview with NBC, Blinken mentioned Wang didn’t apologize for the balloon’s flight.

“I advised him fairly merely that that was unacceptable and may by no means occur once more,” Blinken mentioned, referring to the balloon’s violation of U.S. air house.

“There was no apology,” he mentioned, including that he had not mentioned with Wang rescheduling his journey to China.

Washington had been hoping to place a “flooring” underneath relations that hit a harmful low in August with China’s response to a Taiwan go to by then-U.S. Home of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

However Craig Singleton, a China professional on the Basis for Protection of Democracies in Washington, mentioned whereas Wang’s feedback on the convention have been probably aimed toward deflecting embarrassment over the balloon incident, the dearth of a powerful response from Washington “will increase China’s urge for food for danger in future disputes.”

“Blinken and Wang’s assembly is not going to change the downward trajectory within the U.S.-China relationship. It is clear there’s virtually no belief between the 2 sides,” Singleton mentioned.