Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強) emphasized the “irresponsibility” of nuclear threats during a summit in Cambodia, suggesting Beijing is uncomfortable with strategic partner Russia’s nuclear rhetoric, a senior US official said yesterday.
Li participated in the East Asia Summit on Sunday along with US President Joe Biden.
The Chinese premier “spoke rather extensively about China’s policy towards Ukraine,” said a senior US administration official, who briefed reporters ahead of a summit between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Li “put clear emphasis on sovereignty, on the irresponsibility of nuclear threats, the need to ensure that nuclear weapons are not used in the way that some have suggested,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The West has accused Russia of making irresponsible statements on the possible use of nuclear weapons since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, while Moscow has accused the West of “provocative” nuclear rhetoric.
The US official said there was “undeniably some discomfort in Beijing about what we’ve seen in terms of reckless rhetoric and activity on the part of Russia,” despite a formal partnership with Moscow.
“I think it is also undeniable that China is probably both surprised and even a little bit embarrassed by the conduct of Russian military operations,” the official said.
At the summit on Sunday, Biden said the US would “compete vigorously” with China, while keeping lines of communication open to prevent conflict.
Li is expected to be replaced next year, and the US official said that Washington believed Xi would bring “some new faces” to the meeting with Biden yesterday.
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