US Pleads for Europe's Help to Counter Competition from China

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman made the remarks at a virtual press conference on Thursday following China's pledge to further cement its ties with Russia despite the Ukraine war.

"Even before (Chinese) President Xi (Jinping) and (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin declared their 'no limits' partnership in February, the PRC (People's Republic of China) has challenged Europe's security, Europe's economy, and Europe's values," she told European reporters via video link from Washington.

Sherman went on to say that while China may be thousands of miles away, its actions “matter just as much for the future of Europe”.

She also welcomed ongoing cooperation with Europe, while seeking alignment in their approaches.

Sherman asserted that the US was neither seeking conflict with China nor wanted to sever its economy from the Asian country.

"We don't want a new Cold War", she said, but "we can't rely on Beijing to change its behavior".

The senior US diplomat also stressed that Washington was being vigilant over the alliance between Russia and China, threatening Beijing "with consequences" if it sends military equipment to Russia.

"Quite frankly, I think Russia and Putin will be a pariah for a very long time and I'm not sure the PRC will benefit," she maintained.

Sherman's comments came in the wake of a recent speech by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who dubbed Beijing as the “most serious long-term challenge to the international order", despite the recent focus on the war in Ukraine. 

In a speech at George Washington University on May 25, Blinken called for vigorous competition with China to preserve the existing global order but added that Washington did not seek a "Cold War."