BEIJING — Practically one yr after Russia invaded Ukraine, new questions are rising over China’s potential willingness to supply army support to Moscow within the more and more drawn-out battle.

In an interview that aired Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned American intelligence suggests China is contemplating offering arms and ammunition to Russia, an involvement within the Kremlin’s struggle effort that he mentioned can be a “significant issue.”

China has refused to criticize Russia for its actions and even to name it an invasion in deference to Moscow. On the identical time, it insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations have to be upheld. The query now could be whether or not China is keen to transform that rhetorical backing into materials assist.

Here is a take a look at the place China stands on the battle.

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DOES CHINA BACK RUSSIA IN ITS WAR ON UKRAINE?

China has tried to stroll a nice — and sometimes contradictory — line on the Russian invasion.

China says Russia was provoked into taking motion by NATO’s westward enlargement. Simply weeks earlier than the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion, Chinese language President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, at which period the edges issued a joint assertion pledging their dedication to a “no limits” friendship. China has since ignored Western criticism and reaffirmed that pledge.

However China has but to substantiate the go to Putin has mentioned he expects from Xi this spring.

China is “attempting to have it each methods,” Blinken mentioned Sunday on NBC. “Publicly, they current themselves as a rustic striving for peace in Ukraine, however privately, as I mentioned, we’ve seen already over these previous months the supply of non-lethal help that does go on to aiding and abetting Russia’s struggle effort.”

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HAS CHINA PROVIDED MATERIAL SUPPORT TO RUSSIA?

To this point, China’s assist for Russia has been rhetorical and political, with Beijing serving to stop efforts to sentence Moscow on the United Nations.

Blinken, at a safety convention in Munich, Germany, mentioned the US has lengthy been involved that China would offer weapons to Russia and that “we now have data that provides us concern that they’re contemplating offering deadly assist to Russia within the struggle in opposition to Ukraine.” That got here a day after Blinken held talks with Wang Yi, the Chinese language Communist Occasion’s most senior international coverage official, in a gathering that supplied little signal of a discount in tensions or progress on the Ukraine challenge.

“It was necessary for me to share very clearly with Wang Yi that this is able to be a significant issue,” Blinken mentioned, referring to potential army assist for Russia.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, additionally expressed her concern about any effort by the Chinese language to arm Russia, saying “that might be a pink line.”

Russian and Chinese language forces have held joint army drills since Russia invaded Ukraine a yr in the past, most lately sending ships to participate in workout routines with the South African navy in a key delivery lane off the South African coast.

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WHAT HAS CHINA SAID ON THE MATTER?

Following the assembly between Wang and Blinken, China’s International Ministry issued an announcement that it has at all times performed a constructive function within the Ukraine battle by adhering to ideas, encouraging peace and selling talks.

The ministry mentioned the China-Russia partnership “is established on the idea of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third events,” and that the U.S. was including “gasoline to the fireplace to reap the benefits of the chance to make income.”

Beijing says it has continued a standard commerce relationship with Russia, together with purchases of oil and fuel, as produce other international locations corresponding to India. Nevertheless, that commerce is seen as throwing an financial lifeline to Moscow, however there have been no documented circumstances of China offering direct support to the Russian army alongside the strains of the cheap army drones that Iran sells to Moscow.

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WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF CHINA AIDS RUSSIA?

“To the perfect of our data, they haven’t crossed that line but,” Blinken instructed NBC on Sunday.

Blinken didn’t specify what measures the U.S. may soak up response to Chinese language army assist for Russia, however efforts to place a ground below ties which have deteriorated to their lowest stage in many years have to date been unsuccessful. The U.S. has sought to restrict Chinese language entry to the most recent microprocessors and manufacturing tools, and has continued to problem Chinese language territorial claims within the South China Sea.

For China, essentially the most delicate challenge is U.S. assist for Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy that Beijing considers its personal territory to be conquered by army power if deemed vital. Taiwan is a significant buyer for U.S. defensive arms and has hosted a rising variety of distinguished American elected officers, enraging Beijing.

In the meantime, U.S. Congress members have referred to as for the banning of TikTok and different Chinese language-owned social media platforms, in addition to elevated sanctions on Chinese language companies backed by the Communist Occasion, which wields final management over the Chinese language financial system and suppresses unbiased media and political opposition voices.