U.S. warns China against helping Russia

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U.S warns China of isolation it could face globally for supporting Russia

The United States has warned China against helping Russia dodge potential sanctions related to the crisis in Ukraine, just hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing on Friday.

Washington and its allies “have an array of tools” that can be deployed against “foreign companies, including those in China” that attempt to evade potential punitive measures against Russia, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Thursday. He declined to offer specifics, but Western officials have floated penalties on Russian financial institutions, curbs on U.S. technology exports and personal sanctions against Kremlin leaders and their associates.

Price’s remarks came after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signaled support for the Kremlin’s recent military buildup in Eastern Europe during a Thursday meeting with Russian top diplomat Sergei Lavrov. Beijing expressed its “understanding and support” for Moscow and the two countries coordinated their positions on Ukraine, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Putin is in China’s capital for the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin on Friday. His visit comes as U.S. officials allege that the Kremlin is considering filming a fake attack against Russian territory or Russian-speaking people by Ukrainian forces as a pretext to again invade its smaller eastern neighbor.

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