Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference at the G7 foreign ministers' meeting. (Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
With his G7 foreign ministerial counterparts, Blinken on Friday discussed concern "about the transfers to Russia from businesses in the PRC of a range of dual-use materials and weapons components that Russia is using to advance its military production," the official said. "The concern there is that through Chinese support, Russia has largely reconstituted its defense industrial base, which has an impact not just on the battlefield in Ukraine but poses a larger threat, we believe, to broader European security.
Blinken and other U.S. diplomats will express those concerns to China and "our intent to have China curtail that support," which is starting to pose "a threat to European security," the official said.
The State Department could not immediately confirm whether Blinken will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The senior State Department official did confirm to reporters that Blinken is expected to meet with his counterpart, Director and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, speaks during a news conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Rosa Panggabean/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Blinken is expected to "raise clearly and candidly our concerns on issues ranging from human rights, unfair economic and trade practices, to the global economic consequences of PRC industrial over-capacity."
The official said the secretary "will also reiterate our deep concerns regarding the PRC’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base," "discuss the crisis in the Middle East" and "challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including PRC provocations in the South China Sea, as well as the DPRK’s threatening rhetoric and reckless actions."
Blinken will "discuss the crisis in Burma" and "will also reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," the official told reporters.
At the G7 summit last week, Blinken outlined the type of aid China is sending to Russia.
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"When it comes to Russia’s defense industrial base, the primary contributor in this moment to that is China," Blinken told reporters in Capri, Italy. "We see China sharing machine tools, semiconductors, other dual-use items that have helped Russia rebuild the defense industrial base that sanctions and export controls had done so much to degrade. Now, if China purports on the one hand to want good relations with Europe and other countries, it can’t on the other hand be fueling what is the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War."
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/blinken-returns-china-warning-russian-military-aid