German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck today again warned the Chinese government of economic consequences due to its support for Russia, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Russia's war against Ukraine directly affects Germany and Europe's security interests, Habeck said in Beijing during a meeting with Chinese government officials on climate issues. Habek, who is also Germany's economy minister, made similar comments yesterday.
The Chinese delegation was led by Habek's colleague, Zheng Shanjie, chairman of the influential National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The body is charged with the task of guiding the development of the Chinese economy.
"We would have acted differently, and certainly not so firmly, when analyzing where we have dependencies on raw materials and technical goods, if this war or China's support for Russia in this war did not exist,'' Habek stressed. These issues cannot be considered independently of each other, he added: "Our relations, our direct relations, have already been negatively affected," Habek noted.
At a press conference in Shanghai later today, he stressed the risk of goods falling into Russian hands that could be used to harm Western interests.
The vice chancellor warned that dual-use goods, which can be used in both the civilian and military spheres, are currently reaching Russia via China. "This is a technique that can be used on the battlefield," he pointed out.
China's trade with Russia is up 40 percent from the previous year, Habek added, saying that about half of that growth can be attributed to dual-use goods.