US working with EU to counter China on its Russia support, overcapacity, say Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen

America’s top diplomat describes Beijing as seeking ‘better relations with Europe’ while fuelling its ‘greatest security threat’ since the Cold War

Meanwhile, US treasury chief says Washington and Brussels ‘need to stay coordinated’ to shield their economies from ‘China’s industrial policy’

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Holly Chikin WashingtonandRobert Delaneyin Washington

Published: 2:08am, 22 May 2024Updated: 4:59am, 22 May 2024

Two senior members of US President Joe Biden’s administration discussed on Tuesday cooperation with the European Union on countering Beijing, using additional sanctions to stymie Russia’s war against Ukraine and tariffs to deal with Chinese overcapacity.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration would work with the EU to sanction Chinese companies supplying Russia with microelectronics and hi-tech products that support Moscow’s defence industry.

Hours earlier, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Washington and Brussels “will need to stay coordinated” to shield the two economies from “China’s industrial policy”.

Blinken, testifying at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations committee on Tuesday, said the US would continue to sanction Chinese entities identified as providing Russia with products that have military and civilian uses.

“We have already sanctioned more than 100 Chinese entities that we have identified that were engaged in providing dual-use products and other things that are on sanctions lists,” America’s top diplomat said. “We will continue to do that.”

“We are working to coordinate our efforts with European and other partners who are also aggrieved in fact, in many ways, even more aggrieved by this practice because it is a direct threat to them,” he continued.