Antony Blinken Slams China For Fueling 'Biggest Security Threat' Since End Of Cold War By Aiding Russia Amid Ukraine War

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, has expressed concerns over China’s support for Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. This comes just over a week before the NATO summit in Washington.

What Happened: Blinken addressed this issue at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank, stating that China’s actions are seen as a significant security threat to Europe, a sentiment shared by China’s neighbors in Asia, South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.

Blinken said China was helping fuel "the biggest security threat … since the end of the Cold War" for Europe.

He referenced a joint statement by NATO and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which highlighted the potential for European conflicts to be mirrored in Asia. The upcoming NATO summit will see participation from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea, partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

Last month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the need for global partnerships, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, due to China’s close ties with Russia. Blinken echoed this sentiment, stating that the U.S. would continue to confront challenges posed by China.

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Blinken also highlighted China’s indirect support for Russia’s war efforts, stating that Beijing’s investments in Russia’s defense industrial base are enabling the continuation of aggression. He noted that a majority of machine tools and microelectronics imported by Russia are from China.

China has consistently denied these allegations, stating that it does not provide weapons to nations engaged in wars and maintains strict control over the export of dual-use items.

Why It Matters: The upcoming NATO summit in Washington is set to announce measures aimed at fortifying long-term support for Ukraine. This includes a $40 billion annual financial pledge of military support to Ukraine.

In May, China's special envoy for European affairs, Wu Hongbo, defended China's strong ties with Russia and refuted Western allegations of its involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has openly accused China of aligning with Russia, casting a shadow over the prospects of an upcoming peace summit aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.

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Photo by Alexandros Michailidis on Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari