The statement was made in response to remarks by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte who said China was undergoing a “massive buildup” of military forces and supported Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Given our long-standing threat from Russia, the massive military buildup in China, and the fact that North Korea, China, and Iran all back the [Russian] military effort in Ukraine, it is crucial that we spend more,” Rutte said as the alliance was deciding whether to approve a sharp increase in defense spending at the June 25 summit in The Hague.
“That will be the number one issue on today’s agenda.”
On June 6, media reports suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump was not pressing China about its role in propping up Russia’s war machine, instead focusing on other aspects of U.S.-China relations. On May 5, Trump spoke by phone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, describing their conversation as “very good” and noting that they had discussed “some of the nuances of a recently finalized and agreed-to trade deal.”
On May 25, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service chief Oleg Ivashchenko reported that China was supplying specialty chemicals, gunpowder, and machine tools to 20 Russian military factories. Ivashchenko said that during 2024–2025 there have been at least five recorded instances of cooperation between Russia and China in the aviation sector—including the provision of equipment, spare parts, and documentation—and six large shipments of specialty chemicals.