CIA bosses believe China is considering military aid to Russia. Photos/Illustrations
“We believe that China’s leadership is considering providing lethal equipment,” Burns told CBS News ‘Face the Nation’ in excerpts of an interview to be broadcast Sunday (26/2/2023) as reported by New York Post.
But the US spy chief emphasized that there was no indication yet that Beijing had started delivering weapons to Russia.
“We also haven’t seen that a final decision has been made, and we’ve seen no evidence of actual shipment of lethal equipment,” Burns said.
“And that’s why, I think, Secretary (Foreign Antony) Blinken and the president thought it was important to be clear about what the consequences are as well,” he continued.
Foreign Minister Antony Blinken raised the possibility of China providing military assistance in an interview last week after he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Summit.
“What we’ve seen over the last few years is, of course, some political and rhetorical support, even some non-lethal support. But we are deeply concerned that China is considering providing lethal support to Russia in its aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken said at the time.
“And I made clear that it would have serious consequences in our relationship as well, something President Biden has shared directly with President Xi on several occasions,” he said.
Read: Blinken: US Worried China Can Give Russia Deadly Weapons
