WASHINGTON, Apr 20 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit China will express concern about Beijing's support for the Russian military-industrial complex, which allegedly threatens European security and does not meet China's interests, a senior US State Department official said.
Blinken will visit China on April 24-26. During meetings with Chinese colleagues, the US Secretary of State will discuss, among other things, the crisis in the Middle East and the situation in the South China Sea, the State Department said.
«Thanks to China's support, Russia has largely restored its defense industrial base… This worries us deeply. We will express these concerns to China,» the official said.
He noted that during the visit, Blinken will announce the United States' intention to achieve a reduction in Chinese support for the Russian military-industrial complex, which, according to the State Department, «is beginning to pose a threat to European security.» «I think our goal will be to make a clear case for what the implications of this support are and why it may not actually be in China's interests in the future,» he added.
Earlier, Deputy State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel claimed that the United States was ready to take “further steps” against Chinese firms for allegedly supporting the Russian military-industrial complex.
Chinese Embassy spokesman in Washington Liu Pengyu previously reported that Beijing is making constructive efforts to promote the possibility of a political settlement to the Ukrainian crisis, is not taking sides in it and asks the United States not to interfere with “normal relations” between China and Russia.