Monitoring Desk
WASHINGTON: The US has conveyed to its close allies to possibly impose additional sanctions on China if Beijing provided military support to Russia in its war in Ukraine, according to four US officials and other sources.
The preliminary consultations are intended to garner support from various countries, particularly those in the Group of 7 (G7), to coordinate support for potential restrictions. It was unclear what kind of sanctions Washington would propose. The discussions were not previously disclosed.
US Treasury Department
The US Treasury Department, which is in charge of imposing sanctions, declined to comment. In recent weeks, Washington and its allies have claimed that China would consider providing weapons to Russia, which Beijing denies. US President Joe Biden’s aides have not publicly provided any evidence, according to Reuters.
They have also warned China against doing so, including during meetings between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping and during an in-person meeting on the sidelines of a global security conference on February 18 in Munich between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi.
The Biden administration’s initial steps to confront Chinese support for Russia have included unofficial outreach at the staff and diplomatic levels, such as the Treasury Department, sources familiar with the matter stated “. They said officials were setting the stage for potential action against Beijing with the core group of countries that were most cooperative of sanctions imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine a year ago. When asked about the consultation process, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said Russia’s war made dealing with Europe and others difficult for China.
Among the obstacles the United States faces in imposing sanctions on China, the world’s second-biggest economy, is its thorough integration into the large economies of Europe and Asia, complicating the talks. From Germany to South Korea, US allies are wary of alienating China. According to Anthony Ruggiero, a sanctions expert under former President Donald Trump, the Biden administration can economically restrict private actors within China, which could deter the government and banks from providing additional support.
Washington should force China to choose between access to the US financial system and aiding Russia’s war, according to Ruggiero, citing the sanctions approach taken against Iran and North Korea.
