Those who are familiar with the Iraq war must still remember the scene when the Bush administration in the United States sought a reason to use force against Iraq.
On February 5, 2003, Colin Powell, then US Secretary of State under the Bush administration, took out a test tube containing white powder at the UN Security Council as evidence of Iraq's chemical weapons of mass destruction.
In March of that year, the US and British coalition forces launched the Iraq war on this ground.
However, after the Iraq war lasted for more than eight years, the U.S. military rummaged through Iraq, and even captured Saddam Hussein himself, but failed to find any "weapons of mass destruction."
The media later broke out that the so-called "weapons of mass destruction" was simply a scene co-played by the Bush administration to find a reason to go to war. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the bottle of white powder was probably a bottle of ordinary washing powder.
This fraudulent event staged at the United Nations was later called the "laundry powder incident" on the Internet.
Twenty years later, a similar scene may happen again. This time, China has become the target of the United States' accusations.
On the first anniversary of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the UN Security Council held a related meeting on the 24th. Since the start of the war, China, which has always maintained a neutral stance and worked hard to promote peace talks, has become an innocent target of the United States.
According to US media reports, the Biden administration is considering whether to release information about China's plans to provide military assistance to Russia.
The media quoted an official as saying, "Before... there was a certain degree of ambiguity about what practical assistance China might provide to Russia," but now the United States and its allies have "clearer" intelligence.
On February 5, 2003, Colin Powell, then US Secretary of State under the Bush administration, took out a test tube containing white powder at the UN Security Council as evidence of Iraq's chemical weapons of mass destruction.
(Twitter @colosse971)
US Department of Defense Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh responded to her thoughts on the issue during a regular media briefing.
China has yet to see lethal aid to Russia for war purposes, but China "is not off the table," she said.
Singh also said that both Russia and China are sovereign countries and can make their own decisions, but if China deepens its relationship with Russia, it will face consequences.
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price also said on Wednesday (February 22) that Washington was "watching closely to see if China was providing lethal aid to Russia."
Prior to this, when US Secretary of State Blinken met with Chinese representatives in Munich, he said that any form of China's participation in the Kremlin's war would be a "serious problem". Blinken even posted on social media and the US State Department's press release The word "warn" (warning) is used in .
In January this year, the United States also imposed sanctions on a satellite company in Hunan, China, on the grounds that it provided satellite images to the Russian private mercenary group Wagner Group, which was refuted and countered by China.
In fact, since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the United States has always doubted whether China will support Russia militarily.
In early February of this year, the United States cited Russian customs data and accused Chinese defense companies and private companies of sending navigation equipment and fighter jet parts to sanctioned Russian state-owned defense companies, so that Russia can still obtain needed strategic materials under sanctions.
The U.S. government, military, and media took part in the battle one after another, and the rhythm of the entire "road show" was almost exactly the same as it was twenty years ago.
The only difference is that they pulled their allies to use force against Iraq after their performance 20 years ago. This time their purpose is slightly different.
China quickly refuted the above-mentioned allegations by the United States.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made it clear on the 22nd that "on the Ukrainian issue, China has always stood on the side of peace" and actively promoted peace talks.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin presided over a regular press conference on January 11, 2023.
(Chinese Foreign Ministry)
Wang Wenbin criticized that the United States and other NATO countries, as the largest source of weapons to Ukraine, smeared China's military aid to Russia for no reason, and believed that the Western world was the one that "incited confrontation and fueled the flames."
The U.S. is not qualified to issue orders to China, and China never accepts the U.S.’s meddling and coercion over China-Russia relations.
However, it is still difficult to say whether the United States, which firmly insists that China is "planning to provide military aid to Russia," will stop at this point.
As the spillover effects from Russia and Ukraine continue to spread, it is worth noting whether China can maintain its strategic focus and not get involved in the war.
Why is it so difficult to negotiate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine?
The United States is similar to how it dealt with Vietnam back then, and cannot change its current policy inertia; the bottom line of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine cannot be bridged.
What are the possible factors leading to a ceasefire in 2023?
The spring offensive may cause heavy casualties, making all parties feel that the cost of continuing the war is too high, so they have softened their positions; the U.S. election is about to usher in 2024, and the Democratic Party must re-examine and evaluate the possible impact of aid to Ukraine on the election .
U.S. media: Washington is considering releasing intelligence that China is studying to provide Russia with deadly weapons. The first anniversary of the Russo-Ukrainian War｜China released a position paper to throw stones at the peace plan. Zheng Yongnian: No Asian country wants to be the "Ukraine" of Asia. The first anniversary of the Russo-Ukrainian War ︱Poland’s role is important. How does Biden want to create a post-war situation?
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