According to journalists, against the background of the war in Ukraine, India, with its 34 percent share of Russian arms exports, is also curtailing cooperation with the Russian Federation. No new contracts are expected.
China, which is considered the second largest buyer of Russian weapons, is losing interest in modern developments of the Russian military industrial complex. The Financial Times writes about this.
The authors of the publication refer to sources close to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. It is reported that the reason is that China has its own achievements in terms of military technology. Beijing is interested in some aviation systems of the Russian Federation, which are in the latest generation of fighters. In addition to everything else, the PRC continues to purchase engines of Soviet models, since its own production does not yet meet the needs.
According to journalist sources, the last contracts are being executed in the aviation sector: in a few years, China will not be interested in Russian aviation developments. If we compare the current situation with previous years, now everything is the opposite. Now the Russian army is more interested in the latest Chinese technologies.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China's share of Russian arms exports was 21% last year. China was the second market for arms from the Russian Federation after India. But also India — with its 34 percent share of Russian arms exports — is curtailing cooperation with the Kremlin, and no new contracts are foreseen.
In general, during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, arms exports from the Russian Federation decreased by 53%. According to the results of 2023, for the first time during the observation period, Russia was on the third step in the list of the largest arms exporters, surpassing France, SPIRI reported.
The function of the Russian Federation for China is changing. During a possible war in Taiwan, China considers the Russian Federation as a supplier of energy carriers and products, because the United States can establish a naval blockade, noted Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a representative of the Center for a New American Security.
In her opinion, under such a development, the Russian Federation will take the same position that Beijing now takes with regard to Ukraine.
At the same time, according to journalists, the Russian Federation may transfer technologies for the ballistic missile early warning system to China. So the PRC can gain an advantage in a hypothetical conflict with the United States.