White House warns of 'consequences' if China provides aid to Russia: 'The world is watching closely'

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The White House said there will be "consequences" if China provides aid to Russia amid its multi-front war on Ukraine, warning that "the world is watching closely." 

U.S. intelligence officials said Russia asked China for military and economic aid following its invasion of Ukraine. In an attempt to protect intelligence sources, U.S. officials have been reluctant to detail what type of aid is being sought.

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"There are a range of sanctions we obviously have in place and we watch, of course, if there's a violation of those and we also watch if there is support provided for the military invasion of another country," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.

"We’re going to be watching closely, and make clear that it’s not just us," Psaki continued. "The decisions that China makes are going to be watched by the world."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the White House briefing Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Psaki said that, at this point, "any potential impacts or consequences" will be discussed "through private diplomatic channels."

"The world is watching closely," Psaki said. "There will be consequences should they violate our sanctions." 

Psaki’s comments come after White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with the director of Chinese Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi Monday in Rome, Italy, for an "intense seven-hour session."

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"Mr. Sullivan raised a range of issues in U.S.-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine," the White House said after the meeting, which officials said had been scheduled prior to intelligence suggesting Russia’s request for China’s aid.

"We do have deep concerns about China’s alignment with Russia at this time, and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions," the official said, without commenting directly to the reports that Russia had requested aid from China after invading Ukraine.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks with reporters at the White House on March 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The official, though, maintained that the Biden administration is "communicating directly and privately to China about our concerns about the kinds of support that other countries might be providing to Russia."

Sullivan, ahead of the meeting, warned that there "will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them."

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool)

"We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world," Sullivan said.

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Chinese leaders have declined to rebuke Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine and have come out against Western economic sanctions. China has abstained in multiple United Nations votes from censuring Russia.

And the State Department on Monday said it is "watching very closely the extent the PRC provides any kind of support to Russia," noting that any kind of support "would be of great concern to us."

Meanwhile, some have warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could embolden China with regards to its aspirations to take Taiwan.

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Psaki, referring to Sullivan’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Monday, said the U.S. has "reiterated our one China policy based on the Taiwan Relations Act" and "underscored concerns about Beijing’s coercive and provocative actions."

Psaki said that topic was "something that he took the time to reiterate during the conversation."

Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich and Edward Lawrence contributed to this report.