WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday appealed to China to take action to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning in a landmark speech that Beijing’s standing in the world would suffer if it fails to do so.
In remarks prepared for delivery at the Atlantic Council in Washington, Yellen said she “fervently” hoped that China would make something positive out of its “special relationship” with Russia and help end the war.
China cannot expect the global community to respect Beijing’s future appeals on sovereignty and territorial integrity if it fails to respect these principles in Ukraine “now when it counts,” she said.
“The world’s attitude towards China and its willingness to embrace further economic integration may well be affected by China’s reaction to our call for resolute action on Russia,” Yellen said.
(Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
