US ponders releasing intel on China arms supply to Russia

Source: The Jerusalem Post

The Biden administration is considering releasing intelligence it believes shows that China is weighing whether to supply weapons to support Russia's war in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, the move is being considered following a series of closed-door messages to China not to supply Russia with arms which ended with a formal warning last weekend.

Though the US reportedly has intelligence that China intends on transferring arms to Russia, it is still unclear what kind of weapons China will hand over.

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on one year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to speak. It is not yet clear if he will speak to or about China.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the US and Europe think that China may just resupply what Russia lost in the war and not necessarily provide advanced weapons.

If China supplies Russia with weapons, it will join Iran which has been supplying Russia with drones, a fact used by both the US and Ukraine as a reason for Israel to provide Ukraine with defensive arms.

China response

China's Foreign Ministry said any potential intelligence on arms transfer by China to Russia that the US plans to release is just speculation, its spokesman said on Thursday.

"As for the so-called intel, this is just speculation and smearing against China," Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing.