German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday that China “declared” it will not provide Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine despite US claims, signaling that the German leader received some sort of assurance from Beijing.
“We all agree that there should be no arms deliveries, and the Chinese government has declared that it will not deliver any either,” Scholz said at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to POLITICO. “We insist on this, and we are monitoring it.”
Von der Leyen said that the US has provided “no evidence” to back up its assertion that China is considering arming Russia. “So far, we have no evidence of this, but we have to observe it every day,” she said.
While making the accusation, US officials have also signaled they don’t have evidence to back it up. When asked on Thursday how serious China is about arming Russia, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby replied, “We actually don’t know the answer to that question.” Kirby and other US officials have said they’ve seen no evidence that China has already sent weapons.
The US started making the accusation before China presented a 12-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, a proposal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed openness to but was rejected by President Biden. Beijing also recently told the UN General Assembly that sending weapons to be used in the Ukraine war would prolong the conflict.
After making the claim, the US started pushing its allies to pledge to join in on sanctions against China if it does start arming Russia. In an interview that aired Sunday, Scholz said there would be “consequences” for Beijing if it shipped weapons for Russia’s use in the war.
On Friday, Scholz met with President Biden in Washington DC. According to a White House readout of the meeting, the two leaders “reiterated their commitment to impose costs on Russia for its aggression for as long as necessary.” Scholz and Biden only offered brief remarks to the press before their meeting and did not hold the customary joint press conference afterward.
The last time Scholz was in Washington and held a joint press conference with Biden was on February 7, 2022. At the press conference, President Biden vowed to “bring an end” to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine. A recent report from investigative journalist Seymour Hersh alleged that the Biden administration was already plotting to bomb both Nord Stream pipelines.
A smart move by China. Why risk damaging trade with the big players.
In a few years, you’ll understand the power of BRICS vs. the dollar.
Hopefully it will herald the end of the USD .
That’s kind of the point of this war. The USA built a system where every other nation has to buy energy in dollars with a gun to its head. It’s a system of tribute that allows us to finance massive deficits (mostly military) that we use to enforce the tribute by turning any nation that refuses into a failed state.
Recently, BRICS formed a coalition to stop trading in dollars, and we have been attacking the membership (while suffering massive inflation) ever since.
This is essentially WHITE AMERICA getting mad that the Chinese would dare insist on trading fairly instead of being content as a client slave state. The fact that the Democrats are taking this stance while censoring the entire nation on the basis of anti-racism just shows what a joke the culture war stuff really is. We’ll be arguing about white supremacy when the Democratic president kills every POC on the planet in a nuclear apocalypse.
The end of USD was already seen by the banksters. A new U.S. digital currency will replace it and those western enemies who are holding US bonds will soon realize they are holding on to a worthless paper.
Maybe in the future, but today the USA and EU market is too important to China to risk hurting trade.
China’s goods and services are too important to western consumers for the west to risk hurting trade. But the west, in its arrogance and stupidity, will do it anyway.
And that what was said about Russian energy supplies to Europe. Well Europe survived with out those supplies.
Interesting situation there.
The warmest winter on record was helpful in that regard. And that warmer winter bought them another year to firm up their new sources of supply. They’ll probably be paying more for quite a while than if they’d continued having good relations with Russia, but then again the disconnect is beneficial in terms of that not being a way for the two sides to extort each other anymore.
In the meantime, Russia seems to be finding other markets for its petroleum products, and those other markets will likely, over time, form a strong trading bloc that’s resistant to the effects of US/EU sanctions.
Excluding the war itself underlying the whole thing, it’s pretty much a win/win.
Russian energy is still reaching Europe thru TurkStream as diluted energy. But unlike NordStream, they won’t be able to sabotage it this time.
Europe had a large store of Russian energy that they purchased before the sanctions took effect. They won’t have that this coming year.
If the west sanctions China the way it’s sanctioned Russia then a lot of products we take for granted now will disappear from store shelves and we will be struggling to find alternatives or doing without.
We’ll have to rebuild, yes. It’s coming eventually though.
Read Alan Tonelson, Ian Fletcher, and Paul Craig Roberts on trade to understand the topic.
That doesn’t mean they’re right on every position, but they discuss the science of trade, great to learn. I think, for example, we should have Ron Paul style free trade with the Caribbean, at minimum.
It seems to lead to some negatives when the US protects trade. Nevertheless, the trade protectionists have the actual science of trade. There’s much more depth there than the unthinking zombie free traders who understand nothing.
The right to freely exchange with other humans is a basic human right. No government has any right to infringe on it.
Rights? That’s essentially a religious statement. What are you basing that on?
You don’t believe in rights?
No. Not in the sense you do. I like “freedom arises from a balance of power,” Burnham’s statement.
If a people want rights, they must fight for them, like the Spartans. Similarly, I like Hilaire Belloc’s ideas for preventing the “Servile State.” He wanted subsidiarity/decentralisation.
I can’t prove that we have rights. But I believe that we all should act as if each of us does possess rights. The ultimate right, in my view, is the right to not have other people impose their will on us. Unfortunately, the reality is that we have to fight for these rights if we want them.
Man is a social being. We exist within families, extended families, communities/tribes etc. So, I dont agree with universal rights.
Also, religions vary and define rights concepts variously. So, if you seek to impose your rights on other social units, unnecessary conflict could result.
Anyway, it’s tricky. I certainly believe each human shares an immortal soul and is thusly deserving of respect.
The West would feel pain for 10 years as it rebuilds its outsourced economy, but China would develop more slowly.
Eventually, China wins, but the West is playing for the short term.
You really should examine China’s latest attack helicopters, ships and planes, which the US has to travel all the way across the Pacific to meet. The Eurasian war is a three front war and the internal fourth front is heating up in every aggressor nation, including Israel,
So what does that have to do with China losing trade if they choose to enter sell weapons to Russia?
“We actually don’t know the answer to that question.” — but does that matter? apparently not to those in power. Truth is the first casualty of war.
Well said, well said.
courtesy of the late great senator of California Hiram Johnson of course
Did Olaf Scholz fly back with that white paper in his hand to Berlin for a photo op?
Russia needs no Chinese weapons. Scholz is just trying to demonstrate his importance. When it will be clear that Russian army uses only Russian weapons, Germans may think, it is because China is afraid of Scholz.
When it will be clear that the Russian army uses only Russian weapons? Scholz thinks China is afraid of Scholz; internal fourth-front Germans know the truth— Western politicians believe their own propaganda and the fourth front knows it comes from Hillywood.
“Russian army uses only Russian weapons” So how did those Iranian made drones end up in Ukraine?
Maybe they used Iranian kamikaze drones in the beginning. It looks now they are producing enough of their own. Russian military industry made a huge progress in the last 12 months. Of course, they can buy some ammunition from China, Iran or North Korea, but just the ammunition. Russia sold more than $10 billion of every kind of weapons in year 2022; just a bit less than in 2021.
You just invalidated your “Russian army uses only Russian weapons” comment.
I said “When it will be clear”. There is a difference between the future and the past. Also there is a difference between the weapons and the ammunition.
Well if China did supply weapons to Russia they could use the same language as the Brits when supplying the Saudi DICTATORSHIP with BOMBS & BULLETS they are not to be used for AGGRESSION , as we all know the Saudis are using UK weapons in Yemen .
Like Biden removing the “O” (offensive) from our weapons being sent to the Saudis and replacing them with a “D” (defensive).
I had to smile at a couple of the points that China made in their 12 point peace plan because they subtly attack Biden’s manufactured reputation for holding the higher moral ground.
– Nations should respect the sovereignty of all countries. (Get out of Syria and stop interfering in elections, especially in Taiwan.)
– Abandon the Cold War mentality
– Avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions (Hillary popularized this approach to regime change. It’s still the “go to” strategy of the US State Department.)
– Resume negotiation (Something Biden doesn’t want, but can’t publicly admit he doesn’t want.)
– Facilitate Grain Exports (without discrimination.)
– Stop 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 sanctions. (Chins is calling them what they are. Ironically, China’s emphasis on the word “illegal” might do what Congress and the Courts have failed to do. All of that power that Biden has grabbed from the Constitution using the “Ukraine” excuse might have to be returned.
-Keep industrial and supply chains stable (Biden should stop pretending that National Security is the reason for sanctions, clearly intended to thwart competition.
– Promote post-conflict reconstruction (Love this one ! Xi is not going to let Biden get away with rearming Ukraine after a peace agreement is signed because Biden undermined the Minsk agreements.)
Conculusion: Joe Biden is a global plutocrat that lies through his teeth and is almost without fail motivated by profit.
The usa with its 5% of the worlds population has 1000 toxic-spewing military bases literally all over the world while its spending on militarism equals https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9c8de4239b191f9f81d8030b87af8151200f5c5ea9ae33b0b4ca4a3f880fec3c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a950d2e667c2c4f6b9dc041404926a62ae10f38a868d0ac53d5ca8b1a57af2b.jpg the rest of the world combinded, as it decides where it bombs and occupies and they are they [good guys]? BS!
Everybody knows the US is at war with China, Iran and Russia and that Russia is holding the west outside its borders this time, so far. China is preparing for the already announced US attack on it in 2025.
The Eurasian war is on. Iran is linked to the belt and road via the Volga river in Russia and the Mediterranean via Russia’s Don river and its canal to the Volga. Russia has just recently invested invested two billion dollars in the Iranian province east of Baghdad, and that province was subsequently attacked by Israel. The Eurasian war is raging. We’re on the eve of destruction and its being pushed by the US.
“already announced US attack on it in 2025” I missed that announcement. Is it before or after the opening day of baseball?
Several generals have announced the Chinese war is scheduled for 2025. It could also be just hot air in support of a bigger budget.
They will start the war with China after the parade of victorious Ukrainian army in Moscow.
How does one schedule a war two years in advance? And again, before or after the opening of baseball season.
Speaking from experience; I was once a budget director of a company in San Francisco. Although I have never helped control results after putting together a budget and plan for just under a trillion dollars, I can say that a five and ten year budgets underlay current operations. The pentagon budget is experiencing compounded percentage growth and only China is big enough to act as the stage setting for such a gigantic theater of operations.
Step one: create a scenario of extreme economic pressure on your adversary.
Step Two: Threaten stopping future interest payments on the bond they are holding.
Step Three: Arm the adversary’s enemy with unlimited amount of weapons.
Step Four: leave a small unguarded vessel near by.
Step Five: encourage them to hold military exercise on South China Sea on a frequent basis to goat China to make a move.
Step Six: If all goes accordingly to plan, report to the world that China made an unprovoked attack against the U.S. navy and allies.
How many times have you beat your wife this year? Great US logic, isn’t it?
As for China, they are helping Arm Russia, they do it by helping them get chips and other things they need for manufacturing them, they are also setting up factories to make drones and even possibly weapons in Belarus, allowing them to claim it’s Belarus who is helping, not China.
If they were serious about stopping China from aiding Russia, they would talk about the various cut-outs that China is employing. But that’s not really what they are concerned about, they are only concerned with the appearance of things. They want China to look like bad guys and they want to make themselves look tough and effective by acting like they are dictating terms to China. They would Love it if China would start openly arming Russia, they could then blame China, when Ukraine loses, rather than their own stupidity in regards to talking Ukraine into taking on Russia.
China does what it wants, how it wants to and as usual China is putting it’s own interests first and foremost by playing both sides.
Furthermore, it’s not as if China doesn’t understand how completely hypocritical it is for the US to send arms to Ukraine, while telling China they can’t send arms to Russia. They know it’s hypocritical, they also know that the entire world knows it’s hypocritical. Therefore they know that they have won a propaganda coup by not openly arming Anyone in the conflict.
It makes them the only grown up in the room and leaders around the world see this and take note. If China can continue to avoid directly arming Russia, they will come out of this mess as the only super power not hurt by this war either economically or diplomatically.
Why would anyone believe anything our governement says? They are the biggest war mongering nihlist organization on the planet and they refuse to apologize for lying even when caught red handed. It’s truly an embarrassment that they represent me.
“After making the claim, the US started pushing its allies to pledge to join in on sanctions against China if it does start arming Russia.”
This is why the US made its unsubstantiated – and likely bogus – claim:
as a pretext for actively drumming up European ‘commitments’ for a trade and potentially hot war with the other Cold War enemy, China.
‘Oh look, they’re gonna give the Russians weapons – you’re with us punishing ’em for that, just like ya’ did with Russia, huh? In for a dime, in for a dollar, eh, boys?’
China would then dump the rest of the bonds/treasuries it holds. Something like $909 billion.
gonna look into that, thx
Yes, the PRC could hurt the US by trying to “dump” the US bonds/treasuries it holds.
And the US could in turn hurt the PRC by declaring those specific bonds/treasuries null and void, meaning that no one would buy the “dump” and the PRC would be out $909 billion in accounts receivable.
If China stops export of the rare earth metals to US, it would be much more efficient. It could create a real havoc.
China makes the chips, Russia manufactures the weapons. Nearly every weapon the RF uses is Russian made. I think maybe it’s the Russians who would be arming the Chinese.
Russia seems short on equipment, for whatever reason. Drones would help. I’m obviously no expert. It looks to me like China supplying Russia creates an extreme Russian advantage over not just Ukraine but NATO.
It might be that some in the US are working with China to get Russia to spend too many of its resources buying weapons from China in exchange for those in the US being granted residency and perhaps citizenship in China, on the hopes of one day taking over China.
“Scholtz and Von Der Leyen said” … ah, the call of the common European yellow-bellied satrap-bird, commonly seen and heard in many Western European capitals. It is a lying bird, not to be trusted to even care for its own brood.
And all Russia has to do is just step aside and let few billion people just come through to Europe. Solve the problem of arrogant Schultz, Macron, Vin Der Layen types .
The man is threaening with consequences if China provides arms to Russia? And what does it mean “provide”. There are jointly produced weapons, factories in any number of countries. US avoids in the same way the issue of arms trade. Just purchasing shares in various weapons producing companies makes shipment of arms a non-issue.
If China sells Russia the weapons it needs, it’s game over in Ukraine. I do find your comment above interesting. However it is done, Russia wins with China. I’m not cheering this on or whatever. I just hope the war ends. I don’t know what sort of end is best.
I agree, war has to end.
But I am aware how public is manipulated here at home, creating a climate of disinterest, or worse, parroting line of sovereignity and territorial integrity. American public is by large politically unsophisticated, and can be made believe in cliches.
UN Chater pairs sovereignity/territorial integrity with the right of people in self determination. To simpify, a state that disenfranchased portion of its population on the basis of ethnicity, religion or race — does not get to keep the land where disfranchised live,
Ukraine practiced both legal and physical extermination of Russian ethic or Russian speakers regardless of ethnicity. The situation is well documented and of a long duration,
It is not possible for Kiev with its hatred of own population to demand to keep the territory they live on.
Kiev would not be a liberator but a hated occupier.
War can stop by a cessefire provided that Ukrsine recognizes the fact of losing Russian spraking areas. In addition, there are four more Russian speaking majority areas: Odessa, Dnyepro, Mykolaev and Kharkov.
For those areas two options are possible : One, to let them vote on joining Russia. Second option is for Kiev to change its legislation and eliminate all discriinstory laws affecting wmployment, return of stolen property, recognize victims of desthbsquads, reinstate cultural and political freedoms. Kiev must fire adherents of Nazi past and present,
Those four regions could then stay within Ukraine.
I believe that there will be no peace in Ukrsine until Galicia region gets its independence. Dividing line from Kiev region is Vinitsia and Zhitomir. This is a territory size of Slovskia and would be not only viable, but finally no linger manipulatef by powers to do their bidding,
What in shortbit means — Kiev has to chose betwern the love of its Russophobic ideology. OR love for people and land,
Stay current course , and lose land and people living there,
West Ukraine is the tail that waggs the dog. Its independence would solve most problems Ukraine has today,
As I see highly unlikely that Kiev regime will voluntatily reform and return to bilingual state — war will continue.
Russia’s mobilization is still on the sideline. Those forces are ready for eventuality of a wider war in Europe not to be squandered in Ukraine unnecessarily. But the necessity can be defined down the road. Zelenski rule has been characterized by cruelty bordering sadism towards the military, Zelenski indeed may be despising his own countrymen, seeing Russian sympathizer everywhere. It is amazing that he gets away with forcing soldiers to stay in hopeless positiins refusing withdrawal. Even surrounded, without ammunitikn, food or dry clothes -/ they are commanded to stay. Eventually, they get overwhelmed.
But since NATO countries do not have any red liness, “whatever it takes”
may mean wider war. This is why Russia is in no hurry.