Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Wednesday “there will certainly be consequences for China should they deepen their relationship with Russia.”
“We haven’t seen them give lethal aid to Russia at this time for the war, but they also haven’t taken that off the table,” Singh said.
Singh declined to comment on what those consequences would look like.
This comes on the heels of similar warnings from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Over the weekend, Blinken said China has supplied nonlethal aid to Russia and is considering sending lethal aid.
Blinken said he warned his Chinese counterpart at the Munich Security Conference in Germany against the move.
On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin hit back against claims Beijing is considering sending weapons and munitions to Russia, turning the tables against Washington.
“It is the U.S., not China, that has been pouring weapons into the battlefield,” Wang said at a press briefing. “The U.S. is in no position to tell China what to do.”
China is one of the few nations that has not condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine, and trade soared to record levels between the two nations last year.
China has recently stepped into a more public role in the Russia-Ukraine war.
China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang expressed concern at a security conference in Beijing this week that the war will spin “out of control.”
“We will continue to promote peace talks, provide Chinese wisdom for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis,” Qin said, “and work with the international community to promote dialogue and consultation to address the concerns of all parties and seek common security.”
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, also traveled to Russia this week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, China, Russia and South Africa are holding joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean starting on Friday.
Read the latest Ukraine coverage at The Hill’s Defense page.
