EU top diplomat says China will cross ‘red line’ if it sends arms to Russia

[Hamartia Antidote]

EU top diplomat says China will cross ‘red line’ if it sends arms to Russia

Beijing is considering providing ‘lethal assistance’ to Russia, US secretary of state says.

www.politico.eu

BRUSSELS — It would be a “red line” for the European Union if China sends arms to Russia, the EU’s foreign policy chief said Monday.

Josep Borrell’s warning came two days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “deep concern” that China was considering providing potentially “lethal assistance” to Russia for its war against Ukraine.

Recalling a meeting he held on Saturday with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, Borrell told reporters: “I expressed our strong concern about China providing arms to Russia. I asked him not to do that, and expressing not only our concern, but the fact that for us, it would be a red line in our relationship.

“He told me that they’re not going to do it, that they don’t plan to do it,” Borrell said, adding: “But we will remain vigilant.”

Other EU foreign ministers attending a Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels also warned Beijing not to cross that line.

“If such a decision is taken [by China] it will definitely have consequences, of course,” Tobias Billström, foreign minister of Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, said. “We stand side by side with the United States on that message.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the EU would be on the same page as the U.S. should Chinese arms end up in Russian hands.

“There were those who expected the West … not to be united when it came to the Russian attack on Ukraine, but we were united. So I would think that, drawing from this lesson, there would be enough arguments for China not to assist Russia in its genocidal war in Ukraine,” Landsbergis said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also urged China to remain “pragmatic.”

“I personally have appealed to the Chinese leadership through direct channels and publicly not to offer any support to the Russians in this war. My hope is that Beijing will maintain a pragmatic attitude, because otherwise we are risking World War III, I think they are well aware of that,” he said in an interview with Italian media. “Our relationship with China has always been excellent, we have had intense economic relations for many years, and it is in everyone’s interest that they do not change.”

Chinese state-owned defense companies were found to be shipping navigation equipment, jamming technology and jet-fighter parts to sanctioned Russian government-owned defense companies, Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

EU top diplomat says China will cross ‘red line’ if it sends arms to Russia

Beijing is considering providing ‘lethal assistance’ to Russia, US secretary of state says.

www.politico.eu

BRUSSELS — It would be a “red line” for the European Union if China sends arms to Russia, the EU’s foreign policy chief said Monday.

Josep Borrell’s warning came two days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “deep concern” that China was considering providing potentially “lethal assistance” to Russia for its war against Ukraine.

Recalling a meeting he held on Saturday with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, Borrell told reporters: “I expressed our strong concern about China providing arms to Russia. I asked him not to do that, and expressing not only our concern, but the fact that for us, it would be a red line in our relationship.

“He told me that they’re not going to do it, that they don’t plan to do it,” Borrell said, adding: “But we will remain vigilant.”

Other EU foreign ministers attending a Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels also warned Beijing not to cross that line.

“If such a decision is taken [by China] it will definitely have consequences, of course,” Tobias Billström, foreign minister of Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, said. “We stand side by side with the United States on that message.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the EU would be on the same page as the U.S. should Chinese arms end up in Russian hands.

“There were those who expected the West … not to be united when it came to the Russian attack on Ukraine, but we were united. So I would think that, drawing from this lesson, there would be enough arguments for China not to assist Russia in its genocidal war in Ukraine,” Landsbergis said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also urged China to remain “pragmatic.”

“I personally have appealed to the Chinese leadership through direct channels and publicly not to offer any support to the Russians in this war. My hope is that Beijing will maintain a pragmatic attitude, because otherwise we are risking World War III, I think they are well aware of that,” he said in an interview with Italian media. “Our relationship with China has always been excellent, we have had intense economic relations for many years, and it is in everyone’s interest that they do not change.”

Chinese state-owned defense companies were found to be shipping navigation equipment, jamming technology and jet-fighter parts to sanctioned Russian government-owned defense companies, Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.

This is called real 21st century war - "TRADE WAR"

You don't need guns, missiles or tanks...

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

This is called real 21st century war - "TRADE WAR"

You don't need guns, missiles or tanks...

China is going to do nothing. They'll continue to throw their $1.1 Trillion GDP friend Russia under the bus before the $16.6T EU if the EU snaps its fingers loudly.

 

[AViet]

China is going to do nothing. They'll continue to throw their $1.1 Trillion GDP friend Russia under the bus before the $16.6T EU if the EU snaps its fingers loudly.

IMF data 2022 Russia GDP is $2.1 trillion. As seen recently worldwide, GDP in US$ term can mislead the power of a country. Mexico's or Brazil's GDP or GDP per capita are much higher than Ukraine, but the level of development and impact on the world economy as well as science and technology of Ukraine seem much bigger.

China's GDP in US$ term is smaller than EU + the US combined, but its capacity to manufacture, for most products, is bigger than those of EU combined with the US.

While GDP data (US$) is used for short term, the real capacity to manufacture and innovate seem to be much more important in the long term. Although Russia's GDP in US$ is so small (compared to EU), i think it would be very different if we compare how many tanks or aircrafts or railcars each can manufacture per year.

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

China is going to do nothing. They'll continue to throw their $1.1 Trillion GDP friend Russia under the bus before the $16.6T EU if the EU snaps its fingers loudly.

China does rely heavily on the US and the EU markets. They lack Russia's natural resource wealth.

Russia is still standing because to its natural resources after having fought the Cold War for many years.

China is still a new player in the game, and it will be fascinating to see if they can survive. Nevertheless, they don't have the same resources as Russia, so I have my doubts.

 

[epebble]

i think it would be very different if we compare how many tanks or aircrafts or railcars each can manufacture per year.

This is a tricky concept. That is why economists use value instead of count. If one uses count, there is no way to distinguish a metal box with wheels that can be smashed with a wooden pole vs. a state-of-the-art tank with active armor.

 

[AViet]

This is a tricky concept. That is why economists use value instead of count. If one uses count, there is no way to distinguish a metal box with wheels that can be smashed with a wooden pole vs. a state-of-the-art tank with active armor.

I know. However, quality is a relative term. In ISO definition, it is described as "meeting customers' requirement". In addition, exchange rate plays too big in deciding a country's GDP, leading to question on its reliability, especially in recent years. Take Iran, for example. Its GDP per capita jumps from $4,000 to $20,000 within 2 or three years, all according to IMF.

 

[StraightEdge]

EU is slowly becoming a laughing stock of the world. They will be irrelevant in coming decades. GDP is projected to expand by 0.8% in 2023 and 1.6% in 2024. Germany's trade surplus in 2022 was the lowest since 2000. By 2035, EU will be as good as an old, irrelevant block which nobody will care.

 

[etylo]

What the EU going to do to China ? Totally decouple from Chinese business and trade if EU ever dare ? Besides, EU masters US and NATO already consider China a threat and enemy, EU can't and won't bend its masters' will.

 

[8888888888888]

US already cross the red line when it blow up Nord Stream

 

[Dalit]

Look who is begging China not to provide weapons.

The Europeans are kidding themselves. On the one hand they are already waging all kinds of wars against China. They think that by handing out meaningless threats China will change it's mind. If anything it is in China's interest to aid Russia as much as possible. China is a much bigger target for the Western powers than Russia. China would do well by keeping the Americans and Europeans locked in the Ukraine conflict.

This is called real 21st century war - "TRADE WAR"

You don't need guns, missiles or tanks...

You say this as if China is helpless LOL Dude, trade is a two way street. If China benefits trading with EU the same is true vice versa. China also sits on top of world's most precious raw materials. Something most European nations import.