GOP bill would make State Dept. reveal China’s Putin collaboration

House Republ𒁃icans are calling on the State Department to submit a report to Congress detailing the extent of Chinese support to Russia before and during its invasion of Ukraine.

The legislation, exclusively obtained by The Post, is Congress’ latest effort to gain increased transparency about the authoritarian alliance as Ukraine endures its fifth week of brutal attacks by Russia — which reportedly sought weapons and economic support from Beijing earlier this month. 

Introduced on Friday, the Assessing Xi’s Interference and Subversion [AXIS] Act would require the department to submit the report within 30 days of꧑ the bill’s enactment and requir𒐪e updating every 90 days. 

“The unholy alliance between the 𒅌CCP and the Kremlin is a serious threat to the United States and our allies,” Rep. Andy Bﷺarr (R-Ky.), who is leading the effort, said in a statement. “There is evidence that General Secretary Xi ratcheted up support for the Kremlin before and during the invasion.

“The world should know how China is aiding and abetting Russia in evading the effects of international sanctions,” Barr added. “We need a full report on the extent of this collaboration to inform the American public and enable lawmakers to begin positioning the U.S. to confront this new axis of evil head on.”

The bill notes several occasions on which Russia appeared to support China, including its abstention from a vote on a United Nations S🅰ecurity Council resolution calling for an end to the Russian invasion Feb. 25, as well as a General Assembly vote on a similar resolution the following week.

“As of April 1, 2022, China has not publicly condemned Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine,” the bill reads. “In his call with Xi Jinping on March 18, President Joe Biden communicated that there would be ‘implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia as it conducts brutal attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians’.”

The measure goes on to describe China as “culpable in whitewashing Russia’s war crimes, which include the indiscriminate killing of countless Ukrainian men, women, and children.”

The legislation is slated for consideration next week in the 🐟House Foreign Affairs Committ💞ee, where Barr’s office expects it to advance.

“The Chinese Communist Party has proven it is not willing or capable of acting as a constructive party in Russia’s unprovoked full-scale attack on Ukraine,” said committee ranking member Michael McCaul (R-Texas).

“Rather, they are complicit — releasing a joint statement with Putin that cast NATO as an aggressor; reportedly coordinating the invasion’s timing with Moscow; echoing Russian propaganda and disinformation that Russia is using to conduct brutal attacks on innocent Ukrainian civilians; and scaling up support to the Russian economy.”

McCaul added: “Americans must be made aware of this unholy alliance and the CCP’s nefarious role in Russia’s war.”

Earlier this month, 🐷White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confronted his Chinese counterpart face ꦫto face, after administration officials confirmed the US had determined China would be willing to proꦓvide Russia with support.

Dur🐻ing the meeting, Sullivan reportedly made it clear that the Biden administration has deep concerns about C🐻hina’s alignment with the Kremlin. 

At💜 the time, both Russian and Chinese officials denied the accusations.

“Russia has its own potential to continue the operation, which, a☂s we have said, is unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“What is pressing now is🎐 that all parties should exercise restraint and strive to cool down the situation, rather than fueling the tension,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters. “We should promote diplomatic settlements instead of fu♏rther escalating the situation.”

The Pentagon has said it has seen n🤡o evidence of China providing military assistance to Russia during the invasion.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration also accused China of spreading Russian disinformation that could be considered a pretext for Moscow’s troops to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. 

Washington says Beijing has spread false Russian claims that Ukraine was r🌜unning chemical and biological weapons labs with US support, and claim China if Russia moves ahead with a biological or chemical weapons attack on Ukrainians.