Ukraine: US urged to use ‘vigorous diplomacy’ to push China to stop Russia’s war
- American scholars and former policymakers also call for Washington to make clear there will be ‘swift and costly penalties’ for efforts to undermine or evade sanctions
- They say that by reaching out to Beijing, the US could ‘lay the groundwork for more effective pressure against China if Xi more openly supports Putin’
They also called for Washington to make clear that Beijing will face “swift and costly penalties” if it undermines or evades sanctions against Moscow, according to a statement by 10 members of the Task Force on US-China Policy released on Friday.
“This approach will keep pushing China to consider its own national interests, the costs it is prepared to bear, and how flexibly its leaders can adjust course to reduce the political consequences, economic burdens and social ignominy of having Russia as its primary partner just as China seeks to take its place as a responsible great power on the world stage,” the statement said.
Convened by the Asia Society and the University of California San Diego, the informal and largely bipartisan task force includes former US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky, former US ambassador to China Winston Lord, Susan Shirk, a former deputy assistant secretary of state, as well as sinologists Orville Schell and David Shambaugh.
It comes as China is under mounting pressure to mediate for a ceasefire between close ally Russia and Ukraine. Beijing has not condemned Russia’s invasion, while saying it respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and recognising the “legitimate security concerns” of Moscow.
China has also refused to join the sweeping US-led sanctions against Russia and there are concerns Beijing could try to help Moscow evade them.