Beijing's support for Russian aggression in Ukraine comes from China's top leadership, US State Department says

Photo: Kurt Campbell

A senior US State Department official said on Wednesday, September 18, that Beijing's support for Moscow's defense industry comes directly from China's top leadership. The official also noted that chips supplied by China have significantly strengthened Russia's combat potential in the war against Ukraine, Voice of America reports.

U.S. officials have accused China of actively supporting Russia's military actions for months, and Washington has imposed sanctions on Chinese firms that supply critical components to Russia's defense industry.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told lawmakers Wednesday that the U.S. has been slow to recognize the “intensity of interaction” between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“What's most troubling is that [China's support for Russia] is coming from the very top,”– Campbell told a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

"We see a role for UAVs and other assets infiltrating Ukrainian airspace. Much of that is secretly supported by China, and that is a real concern," he said.

Chinese officials have rejected Washington's accusations, saying the United States should not "denigrate or attack normal relations between China and Russia" or infringe on the "legitimate rights and interests" of China and its companies.

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More than two and a half years after Russia began its full-scale invasion, Beijing continues to call for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Some members of Congress have called on President Joe Biden's administration to impose sanctions on Chinese banks for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

“We've started looking at a lot of [China's] financial institutions. We need the Europeans to be on our side. I think we've started to make progress on that,” Campbell said.

Amid large-scale joint military exercises between China and Russia, the State Department's second-ranking diplomat said China's challenges to the United States exceed those of the Cold War.

The massive naval and air force exercises “Ocean 2024” covered a vast area of ​​water. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, they involved more than 400 warships, at least 120 military aircraft and up to 90,000 troops.

Without naming specific countries, Chinese officials said the military exercises between the two allies, which ended on Monday, Sept. 16, were aimed at combating joint threats.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a recent briefing in Beijing: "China and Russia held these joint exercises to deepen strategic coordination between the two countries' armed forces and strengthen their capabilities to combat joint security threats."

Prepared by: Sergey Daga