ntony Blinken, the US secretary of state, told Chinese officials at the Munich Security Conference that there would be “serious consequences” if China deepened its alliance with Russia.
After meeting with Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, Mr Blinken told NBC News: “We are very concerned that China is considering providing lethal support to Russia and its aggression against Ukraine.”
Rows over Taiwan and an alleged Chinese spy balloon that the US Air Force shot down at the beginning of February have already strained relations between China and the US.
Washington has noted China’s willingness to endorse Russian misinformation and the sale of body armour to Moscow by private firms.
Mr Blinken added: “We have seen some political and rhetorical support, even some non-lethal support.”
But US officials see “disturbing trend lines” and told CNN they fear China may “creep up” its support to include lethal arms.
Asked what lethal support would entail, Mr Blinken told NBC it could be “everything from ammunition to the weapons themselves”.
Allies were informed of the intelligence at the conference over the weekend, according to CNN.
Lindsey Graham, a top Republican senator who attended the event, said it would be a serious mistake for China to provide Russia with weapons – especially at a time he said he has never been more sure Ukraine will prevail.
Mr Blinken met with Mr Wang for an hour late on Saturday in rare talks that highlight the seriousness of Washington’s concerns.
Mr Wang was attending Munich to give a speech on a Chinese peace plan for Ukraine, to be delivered on February 24. Western officials have been sceptical of the plan.
Yesterday, Mr Blinken emphasised on ABC News that Joe Biden, the US president, had warned Xi Jinping, China’s leader, as long ago as last March against sending weapons to Russia.
Sending lethal or non-lethal aid to Russia would mark a change in Chinese policy towards the Kremlin since its invasion of Ukraine.
The invasion shocked Beijing and it initially distanced itself in a major disappointment for Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who had expected support from China.
Chinese officials have not publicly condemned Russia’s invasion, but at a meeting in Uzbekistan in September, Putin said Mr Xi had “questions and concerns”.
The Chinese leader has also warned against the use of nuclear weapons, in a message directed towards Moscow.
Mr Wang is expected to fly to Moscow by the end of February for talks with Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said the visit would be “an opportunity to work with Russia to promote steady growth of bilateral relations”.
Mr Wang is also expected to discuss a potential visit to the Kremlin by Mr Xi.
In recent years, Russia and China have signed energy deals and worked together through international groups they lead to establish an alternative to what they see as a US-centric global order. Shortly before Russia’s invasion, they signed a “no limits” partnership.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have urged U.S. Congress members to press Mr Biden’s administration to send F-16 jetfighters to Kyiv, saying the aircraft would boost Ukraine’s ability to hit Russian missile units with U.S.-made rockets, lawmakers said.
The lobbying came over the weekend on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in talks between Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Democrats and Republicans from the Senate and House of Representatives.
“They told us that they want (F-16s) to suppress enemy air defenses so they could get their drones” beyond Russian front lines, Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who flew U.S. Navy fighters in combat, told Reuters on Saturday evening.