U.S. Could Sanction Chinese Firms if Beijing Sends Arms to Russia

The United States would likely respond to a stepped-up Chinese military aid effort by punishing the specific Chinese companies and financial institutions involved, as it did earlier this month, analysts said. Any U.S. sanctions in response to Chinese arms shipments are likely to be more limited than the crushing package deployed against the Russian economy last year after Russia invaded Ukraine.

“I do think this move is indicative of the direction of U.S. sanctions policy,” said Edward Fishman of Columbia University, a former State Department official. “For months, U.S. officials have made clear that they would use sanctions against any firm involved in aiding Russia’s military-industrial complex, regardless of where the firm is located. They have made good on this threat.”

U.S. officials have said they have intelligence indicating that Beijing is considering providing arms to Russia, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned would be “a serious problem” for relations with Washington. So far, Xi has confined his support for Moscow to rhetorical backing and an offer to broker a peaceful settlement with Ukraine, which the government in Kyiv has rejected as a nonstarter.

Read the full story and more from The Washington Post.