28-7-2023 (WASHINGTON) China Allegedly Assisting Russia in Evading Western Sanctions and Providing Military Technology Amid Ukraine Conflict, States US Intelligence Report
In a recently released unclassified US intelligence report on Thursday (Jul 27), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) asserted that China is purportedly aiding Russia in bypassing Western sanctions and is likely supplying Moscow with military and dual-use technology for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The report, which was published by the US House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, reveals that China has consistently denied any involvement in sending military equipment to Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
However, the ODNI’s assessment contradicts these claims, stating, “The PRC is providing some dual-use technology that Moscow’s military uses to continue the war in Ukraine, despite an international cordon of sanctions and export controls.”
According to the report, customs records indicate that state-owned defence companies from China have been shipping navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter jet parts to sanctioned Russian government-owned defence firms.
Furthermore, the report highlights China’s increasing significance as a partner for Russia since the invasion of Ukraine last year. It states that the two nations have been progressively conducting more bilateral trade transactions in China’s yuan currency, while both countries’ financial institutions are expanding the use of domestic payment systems.
China has also been boosting its importation of Russian energy exports, including oil and gas rerouted from Europe, as mentioned in the ODNI report.
While much of the information cited in the report is attributed to media reports, the Intelligence Community admits that it lacks sufficient reporting to determine whether Beijing is deliberately obstructing United States Government export control end-use checks, including interviews and investigations, in the People’s Republic of China.
Earlier this month, Emmanuel Bonne, the top diplomatic adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, made statements indicating that China was delivering items that could be potentially used as military equipment to Russia, albeit not on a massive scale.
American officials have previously expressed concerns about the transfer of “dual-use equipment” from China to Russia. However, they have consistently emphasized that they have yet to see concrete evidence of the transfer of lethal assistance for Russia’s battlefield use.
