By Humeyra Pamuk and Michael Martina

MUNICH (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday warned senior Chinese language diplomat Wang Yi of the implications if China offered materials help for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying in an interview after their assembly that Washington feared that Beijing was contemplating supplying weapons to Moscow.

Prime diplomats from the 2 superpowers met at an undisclosed location on the sidelines of a worldwide safety convention in Munich, simply hours after Wang chastised Washington as “hysterical” in an ongoing dispute over the slaughter by the US of a suspected Chinese language spy balloon.

Relations between the 2 international locations have been strained since Washington stated China flew a spy balloon over the continental United States earlier than US fighter jets shot it down on orders from President Joe Biden. The dispute additionally got here at a time when the West is carefully watching Beijing’s response to the battle in Ukraine.

In an interview that aired Sunday morning on NBC Information’ “Meet the Press with Chuck Todd,” Blinken stated the US was very involved that China was planning to offer lethal help to Russia and that he had clearly indicated to Wang that “this could have severe penalties in our relationship.”

“There are several types of deadly help that they’re a minimum of contemplating offering, together with weapons,” Blinken stated, including that Washington would launch extra particulars quickly.

Wang informed Blinken that the US should “handle and resolve the injury” to bilateral relations “attributable to the indiscriminate use of power,” China’s Overseas Ministry stated on Sunday.

Wang was referring to the latest downing of what the US referred to as a spy balloon, however Beijing stated it was a weather-monitoring craft.

In a separate assertion, the ministry warned Washington in opposition to additional escalation.

“If the US insists on profiting from the issue, stepping up the hype and increasing the scenario, China will go all the best way and the US will bear all the implications,” he stated.

Chatting with reporters on a convention name, a senior State Division official stated China was making an attempt to “have it each methods” by saying it wished to contribute to peace and stability, however on the identical time taking “worrying” steps to help Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. .

Blinken “has been fairly outspoken in warning of the implications and penalties of China materially supporting Russia or aiding Russia within the systematic evasion of sanctions,” the senior official stated. talking on situation of anonymity.

Russia and China signed a ‘no limits’ partnership final February shortly earlier than Russian forces invaded Ukraine, and their financial ties have exploded as Moscow’s ties to the West have grown. shrunk.

The West has been cautious of China’s response to the battle on Ukraine, warning {that a} Russian victory would shade China’s actions towards Taiwan. China has kept away from condemning the battle or calling it an “invasion”.

Earlier, talking on a panel on the convention, Wang reiterated a name for dialogue and recommended European international locations ought to “assume calmly” about easy methods to finish the battle.

He additionally stated there have been “sure forces that apparently don’t desire the negotiations to succeed, or the battle to finish quickly”, with out specifying who he was referring to.

NO EXCUSE

Blinken and Wang’s assembly got here hours after the highest Chinese language diplomat slammed the US, accusing it of violating worldwide norms with “hysterical” habits by knocking the ball down.

The balloon’s flight this month over US territory sparked an outcry in Washington and prompted Blinken to postpone a deliberate go to to Beijing. The Feb. 5-6 journey would have been the primary by a US secretary of state to China in 5 years and was seen by each side as a chance to stabilize more and more strained ties.

“To have despatched a complicated fighter jet to shoot down a balloon with a missile, such habits is unbelievable, virtually hysterical,” Wang stated.

“There are such a lot of balloons everywhere in the world, and numerous international locations have them. So, is the US going to shoot all of them down?” he stated.

China reacted angrily when the US navy shot down the balloon from 200 ft (60 meters) on February 4, saying it was used to watch climate situations and had veered astray. Washington stated it was clearly a surveillance balloon with enormous touchdown gear containing electronics.

Questions had swirled about whether or not Blinken and Wang would use the Munich convention as an opportunity to re-engage in particular person, and the State Division didn’t verify the hour-long assembly till after it ended.

Within the interview with NBC, Blinken stated Wang didn’t apologize for the theft of the ball.

“I simply informed him it was unacceptable and it may by no means occur once more,” Blinken stated, referring to the balloon’s violation of American airspace.

“There have been no apologies,” he stated, including that he had not mentioned with Wang suspending his journey to China.

Washington hoped to place a “flooring” below relations that hit a harmful low in August with China’s response to a go to to Taiwan by US Home of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

However Craig Singleton, a China professional on the Basis for Protection of Democracies in Washington, stated that whereas Wang’s feedback on the convention have been doubtless meant to dispel embarrassment over the balloon incident, the shortage of Washington’s agency response “will increase China’s urge for food for threat in future litigation.”

“Blinken and Wang’s assembly won’t change the downward trajectory of US-China relations. It’s clear that there’s virtually no belief between the 2 sides,” Singleton stated.