Comments from French president come after Joe Biden said it was ‘not rational’ for Beijing to be negotiating a peace deal
www.theguardian.com
China considering supplying artillery shells to Russia, say US officials
The US has intelligence that the Chinese government is considering providing Russia with drones and ammunition for use in the war in Ukraine, according to US officials.
It does not appear that Beijing has made a final decision yet and there is no evidence that any weapon transfers have occurred, officials said.
However, negotiations between Russia and China about the price and scope of the equipment are ongoing, CNN has reported. It comes as the Russian army rapidly depletes its ammunition stocks more than a year into its invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly requested drones and ammunition from Beijing, the sources said, and Chinese leadership has been actively debating over the last several months whether or not to send the lethal aid, they added.
US intelligence officials believe China is now leaning towards providing the equipment, despite just yesterday calling for peace talks and urging all parties to end attacks on civilians.
The sources said the provision of drones and ammunition would likely be for small arms such as handheld weaponry rather than larger artillery.
The aid being considered consists of 122-millimetre and 152-millimetre rounds, which Russia has in dwindling supply as it prosecutes a war largely fought with artillery, the Washington Post has cited US officials as saying.
A senior US administration official said:
China has the capacity to be a game-changer.
If China were to go ahead with the transfer, it would mark the first time Beijing has provided lethal aid in the conflict despite repeated warnings from the US.
Joe Biden said on Friday that he does not “anticipate a major initiative” from China to provide weapons to Russia.
When asked if any future support would cross a red line, Biden said that the US “would respond.”
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on Sunday said China may be about to provide lethal aid to help Russia in the war in Ukraine.
Blinken told US networks that the US had information China was considering whether to give Russia assistance, possibly including guns and weapons, for the Ukraine war.
China can easily afford trade war with US and EU, there's simply no alternative global supply chain in today's world, but China can't afford Russia losing this war.
Both China and the EU are walking into America's trap .... I thought the chinese were good strategic thinkers !
global.chinadaily.com.cn
.. time will tell. We will of course agree to disagree - and history will be the judge of it all ..
