13-4-2024 (WASHINGTON) In a revelatory briefing, senior U.S. officials have leveled allegations that China is providing significant support to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, helping Moscow ramp up its defense production through the supply of critical materials and technologies. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that U.S. President Joe Biden raised this issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent phone call, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
According to the officials, the topic of China’s alleged assistance to Russia has become a subject of discussion with U.S. allies in Europe and around the world, as concerns mount over the potential implications for the conflict in Ukraine.
One official painted a stark picture, asserting that Chinese materials are filling critical gaps in Russia’s defense production cycle, enabling Moscow to undertake its “most ambitious defense expansion since the Soviet era and on a faster timeline than we believed possible early on in this conflict.”
“Our view is that one of the most game-changing moves available to us at this time to support Ukraine is to persuade the PRC (China) to stop helping Russia reconstitute its military industrial base. Russia would struggle to sustain its war effort without PRC input,” the official stated, highlighting the perceived significance of China’s role in the conflict.
The information provided by the officials, some of which was based on declassified intelligence, outlined a wide array of ways in which China is allegedly helping Russia’s two-year war against Ukraine, despite not providing lethal assistance.
According to the officials, the Russians have likely used machine tool imports from China to increase their ballistic missile production. They specifically cited Dalian Machine Tool Group, one of China’s leading machine tool manufacturers, as a company supplying Russia.
In a startling revelation, the officials claimed that in 2023, 90 percent of Russia’s microelectronics imports came from China, which Russia has used to produce missiles, tanks, and aircraft. Chinese companies such as Wuhan Global Sensor Technology, Wuhan Tongsheng Technology, and Hikvision are allegedly providing optical components for use in Russian systems, including tanks and armored vehicles.
Furthermore, the officials alleged that Russia has received military optics for tanks and armored vehicles manufactured by Chinese firms iRay Technology and the North China Research Institute of Electro-Optics.
The officials also stated that China has provided Russia with drone engines and turbojet engines for cruise missiles, and that Chinese and Russian entities have been working to jointly produce drones inside Russia. Additionally, Chinese companies are likely providing Russia with nitrocellulose, a crucial component for propellants used in weapons, helping Russia rapidly expand its capacity to produce key munitions like artillery rounds.
Extending beyond the military sphere, the U.S. officials claimed that China is assisting Russia in improving its satellite and other space-based capabilities for use in Ukraine, thereby increasing the Russian threat across Europe. Moreover, they alleged that the U.S. has information indicating that China is providing imagery to Russia for its war on Ukraine.
While the officials did not provide specific details or evidence to substantiate their claims, the allegations paint a concerning picture of China’s alleged involvement in supporting Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine, potentially undermining international efforts to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means.
