The American ambassador accused China of supporting Russia in the war with Ukraine

US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith accused China of supporting Russia in the war with Ukraine. According to her, Beijing is helping Russia achieve its military goals and “can no longer claim neutrality” in this conflict. The statement was made during the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing and became the toughest statement from Washington on this topic.

“In fact, they chose a side,” Smith said in an interview with Politico magazine. “I think that when the People’s Republic of China tries to portray itself as a neutral party, we don’t believe it.”

Smith reported that the United States is increasingly discovering material support for Russia from China. We are talking about the supply of “drone technologies,” microelectronics, and machine tools. According to Smith, the United States does not yet have evidence of the delivery of lethal military assistance.

Beijing declares its neutrality in the war in Ukraine. In February 2023, the Chinese Foreign Ministry presented a plan to resolve the conflict. The document contained a number of declarative statements, including the need to comply with international legislation, and did not meet with serious support either in Ukraine, or in Russia, or in Western countries.

The topic of China’s support for Russia is being discussed during Blinken’s three-day visit to China, which began on Wednesday. This is the second trip of the head of American diplomacy to the country in a year. A briefing held before the visit with the participation of a State Department representative spoke of Chinese support for the Russian military industry.

American media sources in the White House report impending sanctions against Chinese industry and banks.