(ConservativeSense.com) – A White House official has said that the growing alliance between China and Russia is an indicator of American power on the world stage. John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, said the relationship between the two powers is one of convenience, not affection.
“President Xi sees in President Putin a useful foil and a counterweight to American influence, particularly in Europe. President Putin sees in President Xi perhaps a bankroll and an opportunity to get more assistance so that he can continue to prop up his economy and to fight this war,” he said.
The association between China and Russia was strengthened with the recent visit of Xi Jinping to Moscow – a meeting that took place only days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader. Xi issued a statement following the meeting and called Putin a “dear friend” and said together they were going to change the world.
While there was no immediate indication of military support, recent reports suggest that weapons are being shipped from China to aid the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine. Import Genius, a customs data aggregator, has claimed that around 1,000 assault rifles, as well as equipment such as drones, were sent by Chinese companies to Russia between June and December 2022.
The United States, as well as Western European countries, have been firm supporters of Ukraine since the war began with a Russian invasion last February. The US has stated that any military support from China would result in “serious consequences.”
Western countries have however been increasing their own donations of military hardware to the government of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke to lawmakers on Capitol Hill last December and pleaded for more financial support – something that is dividing Republicans in Congress.
The US has given billions of dollars to Ukraine, and President Biden made a surprise visit to the Eastern European nation in February to promise more.
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