Daily Beast
‘Lethal’ Chinese Gifts to Putin Could Spark ‘New Cold War’ With U.S.
Jose Pagliery – February 19, 2023
China is now considering a new escalation against the West by delivering weapons and ammunition to Russia in its war against Ukraine—crossing a red line that could spark a “new Cold War,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed on taped Sunday morning news programs.
The claim, if true, would be a startling change that would squarely position China on Russia’s side, violating the U.S.-led international pressure campaign to isolate and punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his expansionary military campaign.
“We see China considering this. We have not seen them cross that line,” he said. “We are concerned that this is something that China was not doing for many months but may be considering now.”
On CBS and NBC, Blinken said the United States is only now sharing this intelligence with allies, hinting that China’s sudden shift is a relatively new development.
Blinken spoke from Munich, Germany, where he is attending the Münchner Sicherheitskonferenzan, an annual international security meeting that’s been going on since the height of the last Cold War in 1963.
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Although he would not clarify what kinds of weapons China is preparing to send Russia’s way, he did classify it as “lethal aid” that would include arms and ammunition—and possibly more. He did, however, note that the Chinese Communist Party’s approach to economics allows little differentiation between the government and corporations there, a hint that could mean that weapon deliveries might come from Chinese companies that would be “separate” from Chinese officials themselves.
Discussing the matter with CBS “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan, the American secretary of state said that China’s recent moves on Russia—coupled with the recent Chinese spy balloon debacle, poses a major threat to world stability.
Blinken warned about the danger of “veering into conflict” with “a new Cold War,” a claim he also made on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with moderator Chuck Todd. Blinken said he cautioned China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, about the dangers when they met on Saturday in Munich.
He stressed “the importance of not crossing that line” and said “it would have serious consequences.”