BRITAIN will slap China with hard-hitting sanctions if they support Russia’s evil invasion of Ukraine, a Cabinet minister warned last night.

       Vladimir Putin has asked his close pal Chinese President Xi Jinping for military and economic help in crushing the Ukrainians.

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       Britain will slap China with hard-hitting sanctions if they support Russia’s evil invasion of Ukraine 2

       Anne-Marie Trevelyan warned Beijing will be cut off like Belarus if they defy the West

       Struggling Russian forces have lost tanks, helicopters and thousands of troops after meeting fierce resistance from brave Ukrainian fighters.

       Joe Biden has warned China will face “consequences” — including sanctions — if they give cash and tanks to the Kremlin.

       Echoing this tough stance, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan warned Beijing will be cut off like Belarus if they defy the West.

       She warned: “I think that's always going to be a real issue.

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       “We've sanctioned Belarus right alongside Russia precisely because they basically said feel free to park your tanks on our lawn.

       “That is just not acceptable.

       “Anyone who wants to support the outrageous and illegal invasion of a democratic nation needs to be cognisant of what they're doing and the impacts that is going to have elsewhere.”

       President Xi is one of Putin’s closest allies and has failed to condemn his invasion of Ukraine.

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       He hosted Mad Vlad for a cosy get-together in Beijing in February during the winter Olympics — just as fears were growing that Russia could send Red Army tanks in to conquer its neighbour.

       Behind the scenes the West is piling pressure on China to try to talk Putin down from his brutal war.

       Mrs Trevelyan — who has held talks with senior White House officials during her visit to the US this week — hopes bonds of lucrative trade with the West will help convince China not to back Russia.

       She said: “China are clearly sitting and considering and watching.

       “I would think economics is always going to be critically important to him (President Xi) and his balance of trade with the US and with Europe is critical to him.

       “So I would hope very much that he wouldn’t think that arming the Russians was the right solution.”

       China-UK relations have hit the rocks over a string of major rows over the crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and appalling human rights abuses.

       But Mrs Trevelyan hit back at MPs who say the UK should sever ties with China.

       “There are those who say that we shouldn't trade with China in a general sense. I think that's the wrong way around”, she said.

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       "I think they are an important trading partner and we want the opportunity to have more trade with China for non-strategic areas of business, which we can continue to grow.

       “So, I hope that Xi is listening and that he values the economic relationship that he has with the major economies the world, of which we are one.”