NATO puts more pressure on Russia

• U.S. President Joe Biden met with other NATO leaders in Brussels to discuss the Ukraine war. The summit condemned Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, seeing it as “the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades.”

• In a joint statement by G7 leaders and another between President Biden and EU President Ursula von der Leyen, the countries vowed to unite against Russia, impose more pressure on Kremlin and its supporters including Belarus, and increase support for “pro-democracy” activities in Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. Furthermore, the WTO rejected Belarus’s application for membership in the organization.

Qin Gang on ‘bottom line’ of China-Russia relations

• In an interview with Phoenix TV, the Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang said that although China and Russia’s cooperation “has no forbidden areas,” it has a “bottom line.” “That line is the tenets and principles of the United Nations Charter, the recognized basic norms of international law and international relations,” said Qin.

ZTE exists five-year probation

• A U.S. federal judge in Texas ended ZTE’s probation imposed after a 2017 guilty plea. The Chinese telecom equipment company was charged for violating the U.S. technology ban against Iran. ZTE remains involved in a visa and wire fraud case in Georgia.

• However, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo warned again on Wednesday in an interview that if China sells chips to Russia, the U.S. is “absolutely prepared” to “essentially shut [the Chinese companies] down by denying them use of [the U.S.] software.”

Wang Yi visits Afghanistan

• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a surprise trip to Afghanistan after attending the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Pakistan. Wang was expected to visit India this week, but neither China nor India has confirmed the schedule. India issued strong protests against the OIC after Pakistan’s and China’s remarks on Kashmir at the meeting.

China on U.S.-backed cyberattacks

• Chinese internet security firm 360 said that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has been using Quantum attack, a tool designed to hack social media users, to steal information worldwide. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson compared the U.S. to “Big Brother” and urged it to “stop cyber theft and attacks on China and the rest of the world.”