'Swift & Severe' Costs: US Lawmakers Push Sanctions Mechanism to 'Deter' China From Russia Support

Washington, which has been pumping tens of billions’ worth of heavy weapons to the Kiev regime, has been lobbing unfounded accusations against Beijing, asserting that China is looking into supporting Russia's special military operation in Ukraine with lethal assistance.

US President Joe Biden could be granted “explicit authority” to impose sanctions "against persons from the PRC" (People's Republic of China) if legislation reintroduced by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., were to enter force.

Democrat Adam Schiff, a member of the US House of Representatives, was joined by a number of colleagues in proposing a bill to the US Congress providing for the establishment of a mechanism for imposing sanctions against Chinese citizens or organizations allegedly offering military support for Russia amid its ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.

The Deter PRC Support to the Russian War Effort Act would "impose serious costs on those who assist Russia in Ukraine... as China takes escalatory steps to back Kremlin forces," the bill stated

Adam Schiff deplored the fact that China, in defiance of pressure from Washington, has refused to condemn Russia's actions and fall in line with 141 UN Member States who voted for the UN General Assembly resolution on February 23 calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

“The increased coordination between China and Russia... is cause for alarm. By passing legislation that authorizes the Biden administration to enact sanctions, we can ensure we are ready to place swift and severe financial consequences on any Chinese entity that knowingly tries to aid Russia either by supplying deadly weaponry that will be used in Ukraine or by helping Russia evade the sanctions imposed by the international community,” Schiff said.

The proposal put forward by Schiff mentioned China's military drills with Russia in May of 2022, shortly after Russia launched its operation in Ukraine, and alleged there was "evidence" of the PRC "sending more raw materials and equipment, including those that could be used for offensive purposes... to Russia in recent months."

Those supporting the legislation argued that it was critical for Joe Biden's administration to be provided with tools to "deter aggression and limit any available avenues that will help Russia advance its war efforts."

It follows from the text of the bill that if the document enters into force, the head of state will be able to target “a person from China” with sanctions measures, among other things, if the individual has knowingly exported, transferred, or otherwise provided Russia with financial, material or technological support that contributes to the ability of the Russian government to successfully conduct military operations in Ukraine.

Among the possible reasons for imposing sanctions against “persons from the PRC,” the American side specifies assistance to Russia in the acquisition of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, the acquisition of ballistic or cruise missile capabilities, advanced conventional weapons, defense services or defense information, and more.

The proposed sanctions include the blocking of property, a ban on the entry of individuals and the cancellation of existing visas, a ban on property transactions, a ban on obtaining loans from US and international financial institutions, etc.

The term "person from the PRC" refers to any citizen of China, and any organization established under the jurisdiction of that country. The term could also ostensibly imply the government of China, the country's Communist Party, as well as state-owned companies, the bill states.

The proposed resolution comes as officials in Washington have been accusing Beijing of considering the possibility of supplying Russia with military assistance. The US has also repeatedly warned China against helping Russia in evading sanctions, and threatened, among other things, with the loss of foreign investment.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China in late February of “considering providing lethal support to Russia." He said that if his allegation turned out to be true, it “would have serious consequences in our relationship” with China. Earlier, the head of the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Michael McCall, said that, "We have intelligence reports that they are considering sending hundreds of drones to Russia."

China has pushed back against the claims, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry saying that it’s the American government that has been pumping weapons into the conflict zone.

“It is the US, not China, that has been consistently pouring weapons into the battlefield,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated, adding that Washington was “not qualified” to issue ultimatums to Beijing.

“The international community is fully aware who is calling for dialogue and striving for peace, and who is fanning the flames and stoking confrontation,” Wang said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang also confronted the accusations coming from the US.

“China did not create the crisis. It is not a party to the crisis... And it has not provided weapons to either side of the conflict. Why on earth is there blame and sanctions on China? This is absolutely unacceptable,” he told reporters on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary meetings.

Qin Gang continued, saying that, "conflict, sanctions and pressure will not solve the problem.” Addressing China’s relationship with Russia, he underscored it was “not targeted at any third party.”