China’s defence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “should ring alarm bells for those of us who call the Indo-Pacific area home.”
“Even while Russia was obviously ready to attack Ukraine, President Xi and President Putin declared that their friendship was, and I quote, ‘beyond bounds,'” Blinken said in a speech at George Washington University on the Biden administration’s China strategy. He made it clear that the United States is not looking for a fight or a new Cold War with China.
“Our mission is to demonstrate once more that democracy can meet serious issues, provide opportunity, and improve human dignity, that the future belongs to those who believe in freedom, and that all countries will be free to chart their own pathways without compulsion,” Blinken added. “We are not searching for a new Cold War or confrontation.” On the contrary, we’re adamant about avoiding both.”
“Even as President Putin’s war continues, we will remain focused on the most significant long-term threat to the international order – the People’s Republic of China,” he continued.
