US expresses ‘deep concerns’ on Russia-China ‘Alignment’

The United States expressed concern Monday about “alignment” between Russia and China after high-ranking US and Chinese officials met for seven hours on the Ukraine war and other security issues.

“We do have deep concerns about China’s alignment with Russia,” a senior US official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding: “It was a very candid conversation.”

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party’s chief diplomat, met in a Rome hotel for what a White House readout described as a “substantial” session.

The White House said the two officials also “underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China.”

Moscow and Beijing have drawn closer in what Washington sees as an increasingly hostile alliance of the authoritarian nuclear powers.