China will be hit with sanctions if it backs Russia's war in Ukraine

China will be hit with sanctions if it backs Russia’s war in Ukraine by sending arms or financial aid, minister warns

• Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has urged Beijing not to send arms or financial aid to Russia after the US said the Kremlin requested China’s support 
• US President Joe Biden has warned the Chinese President Xi Jinping there will be ‘consequences’ if he decides to back Vladmir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine  
• China has previously abstained on United Nation votes to censure Russia 

Britain will sanction China if it supports Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a Cabinet minister warned last night.

Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan urged Beijing not to send arms or financial aid to Russia after the US claimed it requested China’s support, which both countries deny.

Joe Biden last week warned Chinese president Xi Jinping there will be ‘consequences’ if he backs the invasion. 

Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan urged Beijing not to send arms or financial aid to Russia

The White House said sanctions are ‘certainly one tool in the tool box’. Mrs Trevelyan said the British Government would take similarly robust action.

‘We’ve sanctioned Belarus right alongside Russia precisely because they basically said ‘feel free to park your tanks on our lawn’. That is just not acceptable,’ she added.

China previously abstained on UN votes censuring Russia.

Mrs Trevelyan said: ‘China are clearly sitting and considering and watching… I would think economics is always going to be critically important to him (President Xi) and his balance of trade with the U.S. and with Europe is critical to him. 

‘So I would hope very much that he wouldn’t think that arming the Russians was the right solution.’

Relations between China and Britain have become increasingly strained as they have clashed over coronavirus, Hong Kong, human rights and Huawei.

But Mrs Trevelyan said she still believed there was still a chance to increase exports and imports.

‘There are those who say that we shouldn’t trade with China in a general sense. I think that’s the wrong way around,’ she continued.

The US has told Chinese president Xi Jinping there will be ‘consequences’ if he backs Vladmir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine (Left – Vladmir Putin. Right Xi Jinping)

‘I think they’re an important trading partner and we want the opportunity to have more trade with China for non-strategic areas of business, which we can continue to grow.

‘So, I hope that Xi is listening and that he values the economic relationship that he has with the major economies the world, of which we are one.’

The U.S. last week warned Nato allies that China had signalled its willingness to provide military and economic aid to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.

The message, sent in a diplomatic cable noted China was expected to deny those plans.

Both Beijing and Moscow have dismissed claims there have been requests for assistance.

China has been one of few countries to avoid criticising the Russians for its invasion of Ukraine. President Xi hosted Putin for the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, just three weeks before Russia invaded. During Putin’s visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless ‘friendship.’

The Chinese abstained on U.N. votes censuring Russia and has criticised economic sanctions against Moscow. It has expressed its support for peace talks and offered its services as a mediator, despite questions about its neutrality and limited experience mediating international conflict.

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