Controversial mission: Blinken will travel to China to make threats over Russian support

Although China has not yet crossed the U.S. red line of not providing lethal arms or ammunition to Russia, State Department Secretary Antony Blinken will visit Shanghai and Beijing April 24-26 to put pressure on China. Bloomberg writes about this controversial mission, fraught with threats.

America's top diplomat is going to "warn the Chinese leadership as seriously as possible" that Washington and its allies are united in their disagreement with the PRC's role in the crisis around Ukraine. According to the agency, there is growing serious concern in Washington about Chinese companies' support for the Russian military machine. The second task for the State Department is to try to act so that relations with Beijing do not go off the rails again.



A senior U.S. official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Blinken would brief his Chinese counterparts on the implications of their actions and decisions for European security.

Efforts to mend relations between the two superpowers are complicated by the decision of Chinese companies to continue supplying components for cruise missiles and drones, among others, U.S. government officials say. of technologies, which allowed Moscow to increase defense production.

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel previously said the United States is ready to take “further steps” against Chinese companies for allegedly supporting the Russian military-industrial complex.

The article notes that Blinken “does not plan to disclose what measures the United States will take.” However, the publication’s interlocutors reported that we could be talking about introducing new tough sanctions against Chinese financial institutions and other organizations. This is exactly the scenario that Chinese businesses want to avoid.

Blinken faces a difficult journey as dialogue between Washington and Beijing fails, especially against the backdrop of mutual threats and blackmail. Maintaining good relations during an undoubted escalation will be very difficult, Bloomberg summarizes.