U.S. Warns Sanctions Should Beijing Aid Russia
China Times, March 20, 2022
President Joe Biden of the United States and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a video call for one hour and 50 minutes on March 18. Biden’s core message is that if China provides “material support” to Russia, which is invading Ukraine, Beijing will pay a serious price for it. The White House also hinted that it would not rule out applying “secondary sanctions” if necessary. However, in response to American verbal calls over the past few days, Xi still did not express China’s attitude towards Russia, and continued to maintain ambiguity, which made the U.S.-China dialogue fail to bridge differences.
According to the White House statement after the call, the focus of Biden’s remarks was “Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.” Biden overviewed to Xi how the United States and its allies and partners view the crisis, detailing efforts to prevent and respond to the invasion, including the incremental cost of Russian invasion. In the call, Biden warned China of the impact and consequences of providing material support for Russia's savage attack on Ukraine cities and civilians.
During the briefing, White House officials declined to say what “impacts and consequences” would be, nor did they clarify “material support.” But when pressed by the media, Spokeswoman Jen Psaki of the White House stated that sanctions are definitely an option in the toolbox. The White House previously suggested that if Beijing supports Russia, the United States may impose “secondary sanctions” (against designated entities and individuals).
As for the Ukraine issue, Beijing’s press release does not mention Biden’s warning at all, and it is impossible to see Xi’s response. According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, sweeping and indiscriminate sanctions would only make the people suffer. Besides, Xi emphasized that the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should conduct dialogues with Russia to solve the crux of the Ukraine crisis and resolve the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine. In Xinhua’s press release, Xi told Biden that “it takes two hands to clap,” and that “he who tied the bell to the tiger must take it off.”
Regarding Taiwan, the press releases from both sides show each sticking to its argument, as was shown in their first video call last November. According to Xinhua, Biden reiterated to Xi that the United States does not seek a new Cold War with China, change China’s system, or revitalize its alliances to target China. The United States also does not support “Taiwan independence,” and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China. And that Xi thinks highly of such statements.
But the White House press release has only one line regarding Taiwan: “The U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed, and that the United States continues to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo.”
Professor Andrew Nathan of Columbia University, a well-known expert on China, indicated that in the Ukraine crisis, Beijing does not want to stand on either side in a clear way, and does not want to help the United States crush Russian President Vladimir Putin and the downfall of his regime. On the other hand, China does not want to be seen as siding with Putin, thereby paying the price of being the target of the United States and the West, thus undermining existing global stability and its access to the market.
According to Voice of America, Nathan believes that because Xi looks down upon the United States, therefore, China will not start a war against Taiwan because it can afford to wait. Xi thinks that it will finally dawn on Taiwan that the United States has retreated too much to warrant its security guarantees, and the mainland then can peacefully solve the Taiwan issue.
From: https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20220320000312-260108