A senior United States government official has expressed deep concerns over China's possible support for the Russian military in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine and said if assistance is given, it will seriously impact US-China relations.
US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink made the remarks in a teleconference with reporters on Wednesday.
His statement came as China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow the same day.
He also strongly criticized China for its contradictory moves in the international arena, apparently with its recent announcement of a plan to release a document outlining a political solution to the invasion of Ukraine in mind.
The US official said while China behaves in public as a supporter of peace, it has been supporting what he described as Russia's brutal military invasion and is gradually getting close to offering military assistance to Russia.
He said the US has clearly conveyed to China that if the country provides Russia with lethal arms and helps it evade sanctions, it will adversely affect US-China relations.
As for Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China, he said a decision will be made once conditions are met. Blinken postponed a visit to China this month after a Chinese spy balloon flew across the US mainland.