Blinken Tells China ‘World Is Watching’ Its Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

(L-R) Antony Blinken, who was then the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, shakes hand with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Olive Hall in Beijing, China, on Feb. 11, 2015. Andy Wong-Pool/Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken put pressure on China over the Ukraine crisis on March 5, telling his Chinese counterpart that the “world is watching,” amid Beijing’s continued refusal to condemn Russia over its military aggression against its neighbor.

Blinken made the remark during a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. According to a statement, the two discussed what the State Department called “Moscow’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war against Ukraine.”

“The Secretary noted the world is watching to see which nations stand up for the basic principles of freedom, self-determination, and sovereignty,” said Ned Price, State Department spokesman.

“He underscored that the world is acting in unison to repudiate and respond to the Russian aggression, ensuring that Moscow will pay a high price.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speak to the media after meeting at the Ukrainian–Polish border crossing in Korczowa, Poland, on March 5, 2022. Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Now, nearly two weeks after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese regime has refused to openly back either side. However, the communist regime has shown subtle support for the Kremlin both domestically and internationally.

At the onset of the invasion, China dropped its wheat import sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, Beijing has also criticized U.S. sanctions against Russia.

The communist regime has refrained from calling Russia’s military aggression an “invasion.” Chinese media outlets have also avoided calling it an invasion—instead using the vague phrase “the current situation” or Moscow’s descriptor of a “special military operation”—in their coverage of the Ukraine crisis.

At the United Nations, Beijing has sided with Russia repeatedly. On Feb. 25, China abstained from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Moscow stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw its troops immediately.

More recently, China also abstained from voting on a U.N. Human Rights Security Council resolution on March 4. The resolution—adopted after 32 states of the 47-member council voted in favor—calls for the establishment of an independent international commission to look into alleged human rights violations committed by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

While the U.S. State Department didn’t provide any other details about the call, China’s foreign ministry released a lengthy statement, in which the Ukraine crisis was termed the “Ukraine issue.”

According to the Chinese readout, Wang told Blinken that China welcomed negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. He also encouraged the United States, NATO, the European Union, and Russia to engage in “dialogue on an equal footing.”

The quadrilateral dialogue, Wang said, should “pay attention to the negative impact of NATO’s continuous eastward expansion on Russia’s security effort.”

China and Russia now boast a “no limits” partnership, and Beijing’s opposition to NATO enlargement is a key issue underlying the bilateral ties. The partnership was announced in a joint statement on Feb. 4, following a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Beijing Olympics.

The Chinese readout also said Wang and Blinken talked about the Korean Penisula and Taiwan.

Wang allegedly told Blinken that China was “deeply concerned” about recent speeches and actions “from the U.S. side” that “interfered with China’s internal affairs” with regards to Taiwan.

While the Chinese readout didn’t specify what China was upset about, it’s very likely that the Chinese regime is angry at former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who, in a recent four-day visit to Taiwan, urged Washington to diplomatically recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo answers questions after he delivered a speech during his four-day trip to Taiwan in Taipei on March 4, 2022. Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo

Pompeo arrived in Taiwan on March 2 and met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on March 3.

China’s hawkish state-run media Global Times, in an article published on March 1, slandered Pompeo’s visit to Taiwan as a “poor political farce.”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sees Taiwan as a part of China’s territory to be united with the mainland, by force if necessary. However, Taiwan has its own liberal democratic government that stands in staunch opposition to the CCP’s dictatorial model of governance, and is widely recognized as a de facto independent entity.

While Washington ended its diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979, it maintains a robust relationship with the island based on the Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense.

Blinken and Wang also spoke on the phone on Feb. 22, hours after Putin ordered his forces into two separatist-held regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing them as independent.

State Department didn’t respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment on Taiwan and Pompeo’s recommendation.