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China-EU relations
ChinaDiplomacy

‘Red line’: Europe warns China not to send weapons to Russia

  • EU foreign policy chief says bloc is watching for any sign of lethal support to Moscow
  • Beijing rejects suggestion it was considering supplying arms and points finger at the US

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The European Union’s foreign policy chief says China would be crossing a red line if it supplied arms to Russia. Photo: Weibo
Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
Supplying weapons to Russia would be a “red line” for China’s relationship with the European Union, European ministers warned Beijing on Monday.
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The comments came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had new information showing China was “considering providing lethal support” to the Russian military.

“To date, we have seen Chinese companies … provide non-lethal support to Russia for use in Ukraine. The concern that we have now is based on information we have that they’re considering providing lethal support,” Blinken told CBS News on Saturday.

A series of leading European officials cautioned China against crossing such a line.

Arriving for a meeting of the bloc’s Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said he had a “long conversation” with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Munich over the weekend and had again asked him that China should not provide arms to Russia.

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“For us, it would be a red line in our relationship. He told me they’re not going to do it, that they do not plan to do it. But we remain vigilant,” Borrell said.

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