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China says not to send lethal weapons to Russia: Blinken

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Jun 2023 15:56

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described his meeting with Chinese officials as "candid and in-depth."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang shake hands ahead of a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on June 18, 2023 (AFP)

After wrapping up his two-day visit to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described his meeting with senior Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping as "candid [and] in-depth" in which they discussed the prospect of stabilizing bilateral ties as well the war in Ukraine.

Blinken reiterated that the US doesn't support the independence of Taiwan, but also expressed Washington's concerns over Beijing's "provocative" actions in the Taiwan Strait.

He also added that China had offered assurances that it would not supply Russia with lethal weapons.

"With regard to assurances on providing lethal assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine, this is not new today, this is something that China has said in recent weeks and has repeatedly said not only to us but to many other countries that raised this concern that they are not [providing] and will not provide lethal assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine," Blinken said.

He noted, however, that the US is concerned that some private Chinese companies "may be providing assistance, in some cases dual-use, in some cases... directed at enhancing Russia's military capacity in Ukraine."

Blinken added that the United States would welcome China playing a constructive role in the Ukrainian peace effort.

"During those meetings, we had a robust conversation about regional and global challenges," he told reporters. "I reiterated that we would welcome China playing a constructive role, along with other nations, to work toward a just peace based on the principles of the United Nations charter."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US State Secretary Antony Blinken met in Beijing on Monday, potentially reaching a crucial step toward warming ties between Washington and Beijing after numerous diplomatic rows.

"The two sides made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues. This is very good," Xi said, addressing Blinken as the two delegations sat across from one another at a long table.

Xi said he hoped Blinken could use the visit to "make positive contributions to stabilizing US-China relations" adding that "state-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity."

"President Xi said state-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity. Hope this visit by Secretary Blinken could make positive contributions to stabilizing relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying tweeted.