What NATO’s Warning to China About Russia Means

China’s tight bond with Russia is facing renewed condemnation from Washington and its allies after NATO issued its strongest accusation yet that Chinese technology is sustaining Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Leaders from the NATO alliance, meeting in Washington, declared that Beijing “cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history” without facing repercussions.

Despite a widening web of Western bans and restrictions, Chinese semiconductors, machine tools and other parts have become vital to Russia’s arms industries, helping Moscow to keep up its grinding war, say American and European officials, intelligence agencies and security experts.

But China’s leader, Xi Jinping, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia have repeatedly said that their countries’ strong relationship is a bulwark against American dominance. Mr. Xi is unlikely to easily bow to NATO’s demands.

NATO’s declaration on Wednesday, its most full-throated so far about China, implied that its 32 member governments would step up actions against China unless Beijing limits exports of dual-use components and technology to Russia.