China plays backstop to Russia’s war against Ukraine

Hong Kong: China insists it “has always maintained an objective and impartial position” on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet, contrary to these words of assurance, China is aiding and abetting Russia’s war of aggression against the Ukrainian people.

The rhetoric from China is sharply at odds with its actions. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman claimed last year that “As for military item exports, China has throughout adopted a prudent and responsible attitude”. However, such statements are laughable in the face of mounting evidence that says otherwise.

As violence flares in the Middle East, exacerbated by Iran’s barrage against Israel, some are naively suggesting that China should help mediate there too. As J. Michael Cole, Senior Advisor, Countering Foreign Authoritarian Influence at the Washington DC-based International Republican Institute, commented: “That sure hasn’t worked with Russia over its war of aggression against Ukraine. Nor did it work with North Korea. When will the world stop living under the illusion that Beijing will be a partner for peace?”

Disclosing previously classified intelligence, senior US officials have claimed that China is helping bankroll Russia’s resurgent military-industrial complex. After starting cautiously after Vladimir Putin’s invasion, China has been gradually ramping up clandestine support for Russia. It is helping plug gaps by rebuilding Russia’s defence industrial base. Indeed, there is alarm that Russia is now achieving its most massive military-industrial expansion since the end of the Cold War. For instance, General Chris Cavoli, commander of the US European Command, recently testified that Russia has been “quite successful” at reconstituting its military.

Indeed, its capacity has largely “grown back” to what it was pre-invasion despite Western sanctions. President Joe Biden raised precisely this issue with Chairman Xi Jinping in a phone call on 2 April. According to a US readout of the conversation, Biden “raised concerns over the People’s Republic of China’s [PRC] support for Russia’s defence industrial base and its impact on European and transatlantic security”.

There is now a concerted message from US government officials alleging that China is largely responsible for this build-up in Russia’s defence industry. As one example, Moscow is now able to produce three times the artillery ammunition that the USA and Europe combined can.

Last week, US officials divulged some of the ways that China is lending support. For instance, Chinese and Russian groups are working to jointly produce drones inside Russia. They also mentioned cruise missile and drone engines, as well as machine tools that are needed to manufacture ballistic missiles. Moscow used to get its machine tools from Europe, but sanctions turned off that conduit. Regardless, it has found alternative and willing suppliers, and nearly 70 per cent of Russia’s USD 900 million worth of machine tool imports in the last quarter of 2023 emanated from China.

The USA has complained that Dalian Machine Tool Group has provided tooling to Russia. Other guilty parties for items used in military equipment include Wuhan Global Sensor Technology, Wuhan Tongsheng Technology and Hikvision, which are providing optical components that can be used on armored vehicles, for instance. iRay Technology and the North China Research Institute of Electro-Optics have also supplied military optics.

Electronic components are flowing Russia-ward from China too. Where Western companies have stopped supplying items like semiconductors, China has stepped in to fill the gap. Hong Kong, for instance, is a vital conduit of computer chips to Russia. So much so, that China supplied 90 per cent of computer chips imported by Russia last year. These are critical for things such as targeting systems and radars. Additionally, Russian semiconductor imports from China soared from USD200 million in 2021 to more than USD500 million in 2022. (Agencies)

Also Read: Russia-Ukraine War: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to warn China

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