White House: China Is ‘Growing Closer’ with Russia, But ‘Could Be Helpful’ with Iran

On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said “China could be helpful, if they’re willing to be helpful with, for instance, Iran,” but China and Russia “have been growing closer together here in recent months,” and there is a “burgeoning defense relationship between those two countries.”

Kirby said, “Well, they certainly did talk about the war in Ukraine and, of course, what’s going on in the Middle East. China has interests in Europe, and they have interests there in the Middle East, as well. They also have conversations with nations that we can’t have or don’t have, for instance, with Iran. So, I won’t go into too much of the diplomacy here, but we believe that China could be helpful, if they’re willing to be helpful with, for instance, Iran, and making it clear to Iran that Iran should not escalate this conflict, should not try to take advantage of it, and should stop threatening our troops in Iraq and Syria. And of course, China and Russia have been growing closer together here in recent months, a worrisome, burgeoning defense relationship between those two countries. That said, Jonathan, we have not seen China move forward to provide any lethal capabilities to Russia’s army.”

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