On Saturday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Munich and "was quite blunt" in delivering a warning about the implications and consequences of China providing material support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to reporters, a senior State Department official said China was trying to ‘have it both ways’ by claiming they wanted to contribute to peace while also possibly taking "concerning" steps to back Russia's invasion. In an interview with NBC News, Blinken said there was “deep concern” that China might provide lethal war assistance to Russia.

The West has been wary of China's response to the Ukraine war, with the fear that the results could color Beijing's actions towards Taiwan. China has so far avoided condemning the war or calling it an "invasion." In a panel address at the conference on the same day, Wang Yi reiterated the need for dialogue, and