US Warns Chinese Firms Not To Help Russia Over Possible Sanctions Over Ukraine

JAKARTA - The United States warned Chinese companies on Thursday that they would face consequences if they tried to circumvent export controls imposed on Moscow if Russia attacked Ukraine.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price made the remarks after China's Foreign Ministry said China and Russia had coordinated their positions on Ukraine during a meeting between their foreign ministers in Beijing on Thursday.

"We have a range of tools at our disposal, if we see foreign companies, including those in China, doing their best to reinstate US export control measures, to avoid them, to get around them," Price told a regular news briefing. February.

Western countries say any invasion of Ukraine by Russia will bring sanctions against Moscow with Washington saying it is ready to impose financial sanctions, as well as export control measures.

Meanwhile, White House national security official Peter Harrell said on Wednesday Washington was working on export control measures with allies in Asia, including Japan and South Korea.

Price said Russia should know closer ties with Beijing will not make up for the consequences imposed in response to the invasion.

"If Russia thought that it would be in a position to mitigate some of those consequences, with closer ties to (China), that's not the case. This would actually make the Russian economy, in many ways, more fragile," he said.

"If you deny yourself the ability to transact with the West, import with the West, from Europe, from the United States, you will significantly reduce your productive capacity and innovative potential," he said.

Price said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had long discussions about the potential implications of Russia's actions against Ukraine in a phone call last week.

Separately, China's Foreign Ministry said Minister Wang met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, expressing "understanding and support" for Russia's position on security regarding Russia's relations with the United States and NATO.

It said the two sides were coordinating their positions on regional issues of mutual concern, such as Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Please note, Minister Lavrov is in Beijing with President Vladimir Putin, who will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday before attending the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.