China may give Russia weapons for Ukraine war, Anthony Blinken warns

China is considering giving Russia weapons and ammunition for the Ukraine war, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said.

Mr Blinken told CBS News that Chinese companies were already providing "non-lethal support" to Russia - and caller accusation suggested Beijing could supply "lethal support".

This escalation would mean "serious consequences" for China, helium warned.

China has denied reports that Moscow has requested subject equipment.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is an state of Russian President Vladimir Putin and is yet to condemn Russia's penetration - but helium has sought to stay neutral successful the struggle and has called for peace.

Mr Blinken was speaking to CBS aft helium met China's apical diplomat, Wang Yi, connected Saturday astatine the Munich Security Conference.

He said that during the gathering helium expressed "deep concerns" astir the "possibility that China volition supply lethal worldly enactment to Russia".

"To date, we person seen Chinese companies... supply non-lethal enactment to Russia for usage successful Ukraine. The interest that we person present is based connected accusation we person that they're considering providing lethal support," helium said.

He did not elaborate connected what accusation the US had received astir China's imaginable plans. When pressed connected what the US believed China mightiness springiness to Russia, helium said it would beryllium chiefly weapons arsenic good arsenic ammunition.

If China provided Russia with weapons, that would origin a "serious occupation for america and successful our relationship", helium added.

Mr Blinken besides said the US was disquieted astir China helping Russia evade Western sanctions designed to cripple Russia's economy. China's commercialized with Russia has been growing, and it is 1 of the biggest markets for Russian oil, gas, and coal.

Nato members, including the US, are sending a assortment of weapons, ammunition and instrumentality to Ukraine, including tanks. They person stopped abbreviated of sending combatant jets, and Mr Blinken would not beryllium drawn connected whether the US would assistance different countries proviso jets.

"We've been precise wide that we shouldn't fixate oregon absorption connected immoderate peculiar weapons system," helium said.

He did, however, accidental that the West indispensable guarantee Ukraine had what it needed for a imaginable antagonistic violative against Russia "in the months ahead". Russia is presently trying to beforehand successful eastbound regions of Ukraine, wherever immoderate of the fiercest warring of the warfare has taken place.

Mr Wang said successful Munich yesterday that China had "neither stood by idly nor thrown substance connected the fire" for the Ukraine war, Reuters reported.

China would people a papers that laid retired its presumption connected settling the conflict, Mr Wang said. The papers would authorities that the territorial integrity of each countries indispensable beryllium respected, helium said.

"I suggest that everybody starts to deliberation calmly, particularly friends successful Europe, astir what benignant of efforts we tin marque to halt this war," Mr Wang said.

He added that determination were "some forces that seemingly don't privation negotiations to succeed, oregon for the warfare to extremity soon", but did not accidental who helium meant.

The Chinese President, Mr Xi, is scheduled to present a "peace speech" connected the day of Russia's penetration of Ukraine connected Friday, 24 February, according to Italy's overseas curate Antonio Tajani.

Mr Tajani told Italian vigor that Mr Xi's code would telephone for bid without condemning Russia, Reuters reported.

Mr Blinken said during the gathering that the US would not "stand for immoderate usurpation of our sovereignty" and said "this irresponsible enactment indispensable ne'er again occur".

Mr Wang, meanwhile, called the occurrence a "political farce manufactured by the US" and accused them of "using each means to artifact and suppress China". China has denied sending a spy balloon.

Mr Blinken told CBS that different nations were acrophobic astir what helium called China's "surveillance balloon program" crossed 5 continents.