U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed strong U.S. concerns to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sept. 27 regarding China's support for Russia's defense industry, saying that Beijing's claims of seeking peace in Ukraine "don't add up."
During their meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Blinken also criticized China's "dangerous and destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea and emphasized the need for improved communication between their militaries, Reuters reported.
At a press conference, Blinken said that he and Wang also discussed strategies to curb the flow of drugs into the U.S. and addressed the risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Blinken highlighted that approximately 70 percent of the machine tools and 90 percent of the microelectronics Russia is importing come from China and Hong Kong. That was materially helping Moscow to produce the missiles, rockets, armored vehicles and munitions needed to perpetuate its war, he said.
"So when Beijing says that, on the one hand, it wants peace, it wants to see an end to the conflict, but on the other hand, is allowing its companies to take actions that are actually helping (Vladimir) Putin continue the aggression, that doesn't add up," Blinked said.
Wang said his country's position on the war in Ukraine had always emphasized the need for peace through talks, China's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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