According to the US assessment, China has sharply increased sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technologies that Moscow, its in turn, uses it to produce missiles, tanks, planes and other weapons for the war against Ukraine.
This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to AP.
Two high-ranking officials from the administration of US President Joe Biden told the agency that in 2023, about 90% of Russian microelectronics came from China. Russia used these products to produce missiles, tanks and aircraft. Almost 70% of the import of machine tools in the Russian Federation worth about 900 million dollars in the last quarter of 2023 will come from China.
Chinese and Russian companies are also working on joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles in Russia, and Chinese companies are likely to supply Russia with nitrocellulose, which is used in the production of munitions, officials said.
Chinese companies Wuhan Global Sensor Technology Co., Wuhan Tongsheng Technology Co. Ltd. and Hikvision supply optical components for use in Russian tanks and armored vehicles.
Officials said that Russia received military optics manufactured by Chinese companies iRay Technology and the North China Research Institute of Electro-Optics for use in tanks and armored vehicles. China also provided Russia with UAV engines and turbojet engines for cruise missiles.
According to Russian customs data analyzed by the Free Russia Foundation, Russian semiconductor imports from China jumped from $200 million in 2021 to over $500 million in 2022.
Beijing is also working with Russia to improve its satellite and other space-based capabilities for use in Ukraine . This, according to officials, could increase the threat that Russia poses to Europe in the long term. Citing intelligence, the officials said the US had also determined that China was providing satellite imagery to Russia for its war against Ukraine.
US officials discussed the findings as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is expected to visit China this month. for negotiations.