US President Joe Biden announced Friday in Ottawa that China has “not sent” weapons to Russia since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine a year and a half ago.
During a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden said: “For the past three months I have been hearing that China will supply important weapons to Russia… They haven’t done that yet. That doesn’t mean they won’t do it, but they haven’t done it yet.”
Biden added, “I do not underestimate China. I do not underestimate Russia,” considering that reports of their rapprochement may have been “exaggerated.”
Biden, on the other hand, stressed the strong relations between Western democracies, saying, “If anything has happened, it is that the West has become significantly more integrated.”
Biden spoke about US security alliances in the Pacific region, similar to the Quartet, which also includes Australia, India and Japan, as well as the “Ocos” alliance with Australia and Britain.
The Pentagon calls for preparing the army for a possible confrontation with China
During a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow this week, Russia and Beijing praised the “special nature” of their relations.
But the Chinese leader did not promise to provide weapons to the Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, a step that, if it took place, would have required the imposition of Western sanctions on China.
On Thursday, Pentagon leaders said the US military must be ready for a potential confrontation with China, prompting Congress to approve a proposed $842 billion Defense Department budget that would modernize forces in Asia and around the world.
What was said by Lloyd Austin?
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on Defense, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said:
- This is a strategy-driven balancing act, a balancing act driven by the seriousness of our strategic rivalry with the People’s Republic of China.
- The budget proposes spending more than $9 billion, up 40 percent from last year, to build military capabilities in the Pacific and defend allies.
Guarantee readiness to fight
For his part, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said:
- China’s behavior is pushing it on the path toward confrontation and potential conflict with its neighbors and perhaps the United States.
- War and preparing for it is very expensive, but it is not as expensive as fighting a war, and this budget prevents war and prepares us to fight it if necessary.
- The Department of Defense must continue to modernize its forces to ensure they are ready to fight if necessary.
- Our rates of operational readiness are higher now than they have been in many years.
- More than 60 percent of the active force is currently in a state of maximum readiness and can be deployed to combat in less than 30 days, while 10 percent can be deployed within 96 hours.
