In recent days, the United States has been issuing a series of warnings to the Chinese Communist Party. On Friday, May 31, Kurt Campbell, the second-ranking official at the State Department, stated that the US and its allies would take action against Chinese companies and financial institutions for their support of Russia in the war with Ukraine.
Campbell, the US Deputy Secretary of State, stated, “I think our primary concern is those Chinese companies that are systematically involved in supporting Russia.”
“We are also closely monitoring financial institutions,” he said.
He indicated on Friday that not only the US but also other countries would take measures to express “deep dissatisfaction” with the support China has shown to Russia in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The US government has recently intensified its warnings about China’s support for Russia. President Biden issued an executive order last December warning of punitive measures against financial institutions that assist Russia in circumventing Western sanctions.
Wally Adeyemo, the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, stated on Friday that Washington and the European Union must convey a message to China that Chinese companies face a choice: either engage in business with the US and EU economies or provide dual-use products to arm Russia. It must be clear that “Chinese companies can either do business in our economy, or they can arm Russia’s war machine with dual-use products. They cannot continue to do both,” he said in a speech during his visit to Berlin.
“Let’s make it clear to Chinese companies that we are ready to hold them accountable with sanctions and export controls,” he said. “Last year, Russia imported over $5.2 billion worth of sensitive dual-use goods from Chinese suppliers, an increase of over 40% in just one year.”
Earlier this week, Deputy Secretary Campbell issued a strong warning to Beijing during his visit to Europe. He said, “What I want to emphasize is that what we are seeing from China’s support for Russia is not a one-off, nor is it just the involvement of a few rogue companies.”
“This is a sustained, comprehensive effort, with the backing of the Chinese leadership, aimed at covertly providing all forms of support to Russia, enabling it to reorganize its military capabilities, including long-range missiles, drones, battlefield tracking capabilities, and long-range artillery. It is an effort designed to go fundamentally unnoticed.”
He also stressed the urgent need for European and NATO countries to collectively express concern to China about its actions.