During China visit, Antony Blinken confronts Beijing over its support to Russian military

United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who recently concluded his three-day visitto China,raised concernsabout China's support to Russianmilitary. He raised this matter during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday (Apr 26), news agency Reuters reported.

"I reiterated our serious concern about the PRC (People's Republic of China) providing components that are powering Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine,"Blinken said during a press conference at the end of his China visit.

However, the US Secretary of Statedid not respond toa question onwhether Washington would impose sanctions on China's support for Russia,reported the news agency.

“China has demonstrated in the pastwhenit comes to Russia and Ukraine, that it can take positive action.You'll recall that while over a yearagowe had concerns that Russia was considering the possible use of a nuclear weapon, and I believe that China's voice was importantatleast at that time, inmoving Russia away from that possible course of action,” Blinken added.

During China visit, Blinken meetsXi

Antony Blinkenembarked on a three-dayvisit toChina on Wednesday,to meetPresident Xi Jinping and other top Chinese officials.During the meeting (with Blinken), Xi said that China and US should be partners and not rivals.

Also watch |Blinken says China can help 'calm tensions' in West Asia

"Mutually gain achievements, not hurt each other. Both countries should seek common ground while reserving differences instead of vicious competition. Both sides should keep theirword,instead of saying one thing and doing another,"Xi added.

"The global situation is constantly changing. With China-US increasing dialogue, managing differences and promotingcooperation,is not only the general aspiration of the two peoples (something the people of both countries want to see), but also what the rest of the world anticipates. I have said manytimes,thatthe world is big enough to accommodate both the USand Chinese development. China is happy to see a self-confident, open, prosperous and developing United States,"the further said.

Blinken,meanwhile, said,"President Biden asked me to return here to follow up on the important agenda that will set deeper cooperationas well as to manage responsiblythe differences that we have.I thinkwe’veseen progress in various cooperation, particularly in military-to-military communication, counter-narcotics, the future of artificial intelligence, and we will keep on strengthening our people-to-people ties."

Blinken also pointed out that the US and China should deal responsibly with"ourdifferences so we avoid any miscommunication, any misconceptions, any miscalculations."

'US has seen evidence of China attempting to influence polls'

On Friday,Blinken said that Washington had seen evidence of Chinese attempts to influence the upcoming US presidential elections.

“We have seen, generally speaking, evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere, and we want to make sure that that’s cut off as quickly as possible,” Blinken told CNN,adding,that any interference by Beijing in the elections was something that was totally unacceptable to the US.

The US Secretary of State also saidthat therewas concern about China and other countries playing on existing social divisions in the US in influencingcampaigns.

(With inputs from agencies)