Posted on 02/25/2023 5:32:56 AM PST by Zhang Fei
China is considering sending Russia lethal military aid in the form of artillery shells as President Vladimir Putin’s army rapidly depletes its supply of ammunition a year into his invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials said, a prospect that has alarmed those in the Biden administration who believe Beijing has the ability to transform the war’s trajectory.
There is no evidence that any weapons transfers have occurred, these officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. government’s assessment. But if China does move ahead, it would mark the first time Beijing has provided lethal aid in the conflict despite repeated warnings by the United States not to provide such support. It would also violate the spirit of a peace plan Chinese leaders proposed Friday.
The aid being contemplated consists of 122-millimeter and 152-millimeter rounds, which Russia has in dwindling supply as it prosecutes a war largely fought with artillery, the officials said.
The disclosure, first reported Friday by the Wall Street Journal, follows a public warning from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said last weekend that Beijing is seriously considering a provision of lethal aid. It comes, too, as Western nations grow increasingly concerned that Chinese involvement in the conflict could prove a significant setback for Ukraine and its backers.
“China has the capacity to be a game-changer,” said a senior U.S. administration official.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In response to Blinken’s warning, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said this week that China “will never accept the U.S. pointing fingers at Sino-Russian relations or even coercing us.” Urging the United States to “earnestly reflect on its own actions,” Wang said “it is the United States and not China that is endlessly shipping weapons to the
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
While Biden's endless excuses for shipping the least amount of military equipment to Ukraine for the maximum amount of allocated cash continue, China is ramping up to become Russia's armorer. In Vietnam, China shipped over a thousand artillery pieces in the first year, just 3 years after a famine in which 30m Chinese died.
| Year | Guns | Artillery pieces | Bullets | Artillery shells | Radio transmitters | Telephones | Tanks | Planes | Automobiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 80,500 | 1,205 | 25,240,000 | 335,000 | 426 | 2,941 | 16 | 18 | 25 |
| 1965 | 220,767 | 4,439 | 114,010,000 | 1,800,000 | 2,779 | 9,502 | ? | 2 | 114 |
| 1966 | 141,531 | 3,362 | 178,120,000 | 1,066,000 | 1,568 | 2,235 | ? | ? | 96 |
| 1967 | 146,600 | 3,984 | 147,000,000 | 1,363,000 | 2,464 | 2,289 | 26 | 70 | 435 |
| 1968 | 219,899 | 7,087 | 247,920,000 | 2,082,000 | 1,854 | 3,313 | 18 | ? | 454 |
| 1969 | 139,900 | 3,906 | 119,117,000 | 1,357,000 | 2,210 | 3,453 | ? | ? | 162 |
| 1970 | 101,800 | 2,212 | 29,010,000 | 397,000 | 950 | 1,600 | ? | ? | ? |
| 1971 | 143,100 | 7,898 | 57,190,000 | 1,899,000 | 2,464 | 4,424 | 80 | 4 | 4,011 |
| 1972 | 189,000 | 9,238 | 40,000,000 | 2,210,000 | 4,370 | 5,905 | 220 | 14 | 8,758 |
| 1973 | 233,500 | 9,912 | 40,000,000 | 2,210,000 | 4,335 | 6,447 | 120 | 36 | 1,210 |
| 1974 | 164,500 | 6,406 | 30,000,000 | 1,390,000 | 5,148 | 4,663 | 80 | ? | 506 |
| 1975 | 141,800 | 4,880 | 20,600,000 | 965,000 | 2,240 | 2,150 | ? | 20 | ? |
| Total | 1,922,897 | 64,529 | 1,048,207,000 | 17,074,000 | 30,808 | 48,922 | 560 | 164 | 15,771 |
The amounts of equipment China could ship today are unthinkable.
“China considers sending Russia artillery shells, U.S. officials say”
Tisk, tisk.
Is this even allowed? Surely if China sends Russia military equipment and ammunition that would be seen as act of war? Is it only an act of war when they do it? Inquiring minds want to know.
It’s their shells. The rest of Europe should be the alarmed ones. Bring the beautiful widows here. Bring 3 kids with them.
Hey, here’s a thought, let’s send more military boots on the ground to Taiwan and keep provoking China! That ought to get WWII going!
They want a world war and are doing everything possible to ignite the globe into a thermo nuclear war.
Biden blew up Nordtream II. Was that an act of war?
Obviously, they have already sent shells... Don’t we all know this.
armistice - first
plebiscites - after six months
Well, with the orders from North America and Europe to China crashing...why do you think steel production and energy usage remains at such a high level....what do you think they are making????
I think they have been banking this Russia Aid till the right time when it is most needed, Russia is due for a supply drop now.
Who knows how many millions of shells are waiting for dispatch.
FRussians masturbating furiously.
I thought Russia had an endless supply of arty shells and missiles and were just waiting for the spring offensive to use them.
The United States continues to act like it’s the fall of 1945, and we are the world’s only superpower. Then we get all surprised and offended when some other nation asserts itself.
Maybe Biden should show China who’s boss by ordering a gunboat to go up the Yangtze River, just like in the good old days. 😒
“Is this even allowed?”
Ukraine could consider it an act of war, just as Russia can consider US and UK shipments during a war it is in as acts of war.
Which one should we believe, China calling for cease fire or China shipping weapons to the Ruskies?
“Is it only an act of war when they do it?”
Not necessarily an act of war but there Rules 163 of the “Rules-based Order” that the EU keeps reminding the rest of the world that they must abide by.
SPECIFICALLY: Rule 163: “All arms shipments to belligerent or potentially belligerent countries shall be approved by the EU Directorate of International Arms Sales”.
There is NO EVIDENCE that China has submitted their proposal for review by the Directorate and thus the transfer of these arms will be illegal, should that happen.
In WW2, the Soviet Union increased military production. This was done over a timespan of four years (1941-1945).
The Russian Federation can also increase military production greatly.
Let’s see, we are pi$$ing away close to a Billion Dollars A Day on Uke corruption. You globalists get all upset when the only consequence of your sanctions and proxy war, other than hammering the American consumer, is the new Russian/Chinese anti woke globalist alliance. Unlike our proxy who is bleeding the American taxpayer dry, Xi’s proxy hasn’t cost him a dime. In fact, thanks to you woke globalists, Xi swaps Chicom steel for Russian tanks and artillery tubes to bleed the youth of Ukraine dry. And thanks to you globalists’ shortsightedness our only existential enemy is swimming in highly discounted Russian oil and whatever other highly discounted natural resources China needs.
“Which one should we believe, China calling for cease fire or China shipping weapons to the Ruskies?”
Both, one Chinese ‘hand’ can tender a ‘carrot’, the other holds a “stick’.
Blah blah blah isolationist drivel yada yada yada
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