(HorizonPost.com) – Senator Lindsay Graham said that Chinese support of Russia would be “catastrophic” for US-China relations. Graham was responding to reports that China may be about to increase its support of the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine. Anti-American sentiment has grown in China since the spy balloon incident in early February and a representative of the communist state visited Putin in Moscow after attending a security conference in Europe recently. Graham said if China allies with Moscow now, it would be like buying a ticket on the Titanic after seeing the movie.
The GOP Senator has also called for Russia to be designated a state sponsor of terrorism because, under American law, any support for such a sponsor can result in sanctions. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China that if it supplies Russia with weapons, there will be “serious consequences.” Secretary Blinken spoke after a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and said he is concerned that Beijing is considering offering military support to the Kremlin.
China however has said its relationship with Russia is “as stable as Mount Tai” and insisted no third party will interfere. While Beijing has been supportive of Putin, it has so far stopped short of offering to provide weapons. The US is worried that this might change.
China denies there is any intention to reinforce Russia’s war effort and instead has positioned itself as the broker of peace. On February 24th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a 12-point proposal to bring the war to an end. The paper calls for a ceasefire and the end of Western sanctions against Russia. “Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out to resolve the Ukraine crisis,” the proposal states, adding that China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Spain that he welcomed China’s intervention in the crisis. He has previously warned however that if the Chinese side with Russia militarily, it could lead to World War III.
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