On Thursday, May 30, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer of the United States met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu in Washington, DC. The US State Department responded to the meeting by stating that if China does not reduce its assistance to Russian industry, the US will take further action.
Campbell accused the Chinese leadership on Wednesday of supporting Russia in the war in Ukraine and warned that Beijing could face additional Western sanctions.
The meeting between Campbell and Ma Zhaoxu was part of a year-long series of intensive bilateral diplomatic activities aimed at responsibly managing the competitive aspects of the US-China relationship, even in areas of disagreement, according to US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel at a press conference on Thursday.
Patel stated that the US, G7 partners, and other EU and NATO countries all believe that China’s support for Russia “threatens not only the security of Ukraine but also the security of Europe.”
When asked whether the comments by Campbell attributing support for Russia’s war in Ukraine to Chinese leaders would result in sanctions targeting Chinese leadership, Patel declined to disclose details of future sanctions but added, “If China (the Chinese Communist Party) does not reduce its support for Russia’s defense industry base, the US will be prepared to take further action.”
Additionally, the White House reported that Finer also met with Ma Zhaoxu on Thursday to discuss topics such as drug prohibition, the Taiwan Strait, the war in Ukraine, and denuclearization efforts on the Korean Peninsula.
The White House statement indicated that Finer emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing US support for international law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
During his visit to Brussels on Wednesday, Campbell told reporters that Europe and NATO countries urgently need to “send a collective message of concern to China (the CCP), as we believe China’s actions are destabilizing the core of Europe.”
The Biden administration has increased warnings to China over its support for Russia and issued an executive order last December warning of sanctions against financial institutions helping Russia evade Western sanctions.
Campbell stated that Chinese aid to Russia, supported by the Chinese leadership, is helping Moscow rebuild its military capabilities, including long-range missiles, artillery, unmanned capabilities, and the ability to track battlefield movements.
Last month, the US imposed sanctions on 20 companies based in China and Hong Kong.
US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo is set to address German business leaders in Berlin on Friday, May 31, where he is expected to call for further action to stop Russia from evading sanctions and issue warnings to China.
In December of last year, Biden signed an executive order authorizing the US Treasury Department to blacklist banks in China, Turkey, the UAE, and others that may assist Russia, marking the first direct warning.
Earlier this month, the European Central Bank urged eurozone banks operating in Russia to expedite their withdrawal, fearing that if they stayed, they could face secondary sanctions from the US for facilitating the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Shortly before the European Central Bank issued its warning, Adeyemo informed one of Russia’s most prominent European banks, Raiffeisen Bank in Austria, that Washington might restrict its access to the US financial system on national security grounds.