NATO published a declaration Wednesday aimed against Chinese trade with Russia. The declaration was approved by the 32 leaders of the countries in NATO, who are gathered in Washington DC for the summit on the occasion of the alliance’s 75th anniversary. 

The statement, which called China a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” accused the PRC of “large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base” for allowing the shipment into Russia of weapons components as part of the trade between the two countries.

The statement also included the demand that China “cease all material and political support to Russia’s war effort.”

“We remain open to constructive engagement with the PRC, including to build reciprocal transparency with the view of safeguarding the Alliance’s security interests,” the statement read.

The declaration reflects a recent shift in NATO’s concerns beyond the Atlantic toward Asia-Pacific affairs. Beijing has responded with a rejection of the claim that China is an "enabler" of the conflict, and by telling NATO to not create chaos in Asia.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to incorporate the Chinese response to the NATO declaration.