China has warned the U.S. that the two leading powers would be heading for all-out conflict if Washington pursues a purely competitive agenda toward Beijing, during a call in which top diplomats discussed the flashpoints of Taiwan and Ukraine.
U.S. officials have expressed disappointment, however, in China's response to Russia's actions toward Ukraine as Beijing and Moscow only tightened their "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era."
In a joint statement following Xi and Putin's summit at the beginning of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing earlier this month, the two countries vowed to work even more closely together on foreign policy, among other sectors, and it was said that "the Chinese side is sympathetic to and supports the proposals put forward by the Russian Federation to create long-term legally binding security guarantees in Europe."
"We did note with alarm China's tacit approval of Putin's activities here in the region," Austin said at the time. "So I'm not sure that we can make any kind of a direct inference from what you just raised, but certainly, those are things that we'll continue to watch going forward."
U.S. officials have expressed disappointment, however, in China's response to Russia's actions toward Ukraine as Beijing and Moscow only tightened their "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era."
In a joint statement following Xi and Putin's summit at the beginning of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing earlier this month, the two countries vowed to work even more closely together on foreign policy, among other sectors, and it was said that "the Chinese side is sympathetic to and supports the proposals put forward by the Russian Federation to create long-term legally binding security guarantees in Europe."
"We did note with alarm China's tacit approval of Putin's activities here in the region," Austin said at the time. "So I'm not sure that we can make any kind of a direct inference from what you just raised, but certainly, those are things that we'll continue to watch going forward."